


Horns and Roses

by Wonhos_Monbaby



Category: Monsta X, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-10-04 04:56:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 26,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10268756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonhos_Monbaby/pseuds/Wonhos_Monbaby
Summary: What hides behind the dark mask of a curse ? and what can free him of this shell hiding and torturing him ?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> This is the prologue to the story so it's shorter then the rest of the chapters, I will post the first chapter shortly after this one.
> 
> Warnings : The following part has no warning applied but following parts include angst, language, violence, mentions of injury and blood...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years ago, rumors of a man striking deals hit the city, it spread like a plague… And soon enough those rumors turned out to be real, yet no one admitter them to be true. Only those desperate enough were ready to strike one.  
> The man’s face and name were unknown, his whole person as a mystery. Those desperate for a better way of life out of need or greed found a man on their doorstep at the early hours of the morning. Struck by the man’s beauty, they stared for a while, eyes wondering over his slicked back pink hair, plumped lips, and clean pressed suit, until they noticed the sealed envelope in his hand. Only then did they let him in, eyes strained on the rose of red wax keeping the envelope closed. The man never says a word, he hands the packet, and a pen… Once the seal is broken, the contract signed he nods and leaves. Striking this deal, like any other has a cost and any default on payment has unfathomable consequences.  
> Those who fail to fulfill their part vanish… It happened 6 times until recently…

As a young man, Hyunsoo was desperate to succeed, greedy for more he struck a deal instantly, not bothering to think about the possible harsh consequences if he did not fulfill his part. He grew to succeed and marry, his wife gave him a daughter and she soon became his world, having succeeded all of it meant nothing compared to her, so much so that he pushed the deal in the back of his mind. However, as he grew older he came to forget about it completely, taking care of his sick wife and his young daughter that was his only reason to live when his wife passed.  
He had earned enough in his life to live comfortably however sickness took over him and soon money was just enough to survive. Kyung Mi stayed by her father’s side, taking care of him as he had done with her mother. One day the doorbell rang and she opened the door on a tall muscular figure, carrying a sealed envelope. She let the man in, taking his coat and hanging it in the closet by the door before leading him to her father’s study. It wasn’t long before she heard the crashing sound of cups breaking and the loud thud of her father’s body hitting the floor. She rushed in to see the man lifting him onto his chair. He apologized profusely.  
\- Payment is due, you did not fulfill your part of the contract, you must come with me.  
The man’s voice was soft and kind, but his words confused her. Hyunsoo pleaded to the man to let him explain before he left. Kyung Mi sat by her father’s side listening to his words and story of faded memories. She nodded and turned to the man.  
\- I’ll come with you, she said.  
\- I am sorry miss but it is your father’s debt to be paid, I …  
\- As you can see he is in no state to go anywhere, or even work, I will take his place.  
Her soft voice left no place for discussion, the man squinted his eyes at the young woman, frail looking yet he felt something from her that he had felt from his boss. Stubbornness emanated from her pores as he watched her stand her ground and shut her father’s protestations up. The large shouldered man pulled out his phone and spoke into it in a low tone, he nodded a couple of times before hanging up.  
\- It’s settled, the young miss will be coming with me.  
She kissed her father’s cheeks and held him tight before following the man out, ignoring her father’s pleas.


	2. Somewhere in a forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings : Language, grafic description (kinda)

She didn’t take anything; she was quickly lead to a black car and made to sit in the back seat. The windows were tinted the darkest of black making it impossible to see outside or inside from the other side of the glass. The man turned to look over at her. 

\- You should get comfortable, the ride is going to be long. 

He looked back to the front, she heard some rummaging and he turned back to hand her a book. By the look of it she could tell it was old, the dark red cover seemed worn out, the golden trimmings fading. She carefully opened it on to a beautiful title page, Rose red, she looked up at the man and scoffed confused. 

\- A fairytale? She asked. 

His only answer was a chuckle. She shrugged and read, until her eyes hurt and she fell asleep.  
She dreamt, she knew she was dreaming, everything around her seemed unreal, yet everything felt as if she was awake. She remembered the lines of the story she had just read, they flowed around her in a sea of words and pictures, splashes of red forming a rose garden in ruins, yet roses still grew in bright patched of colors against the grey of the décor. Kyung Mi woke up as the car came to a sudden stop, she rubbed away the sleep from her eyes and tried remembering the dream she just had but all she could picture was grey and red slashes. The man in the passenger seat opened his window and stretched his arm out to punch in the code to open the gates to the property. Her eyes grew bigger as she got a glimpse of an old castle through the windshield. The car crept slowly up the rocky road that lead to the tall building, when she got out she looked around. Everything was grey, the sky, the walls, the forest surrounding the old edifice, even the air seemed to be grey. The only pop of color was green leaves sprouting out of one of the tower’s highest window. The air was cold for a late spring evening, she didn’t know what time it was, nor where she was, but she figured she had slept for a few hours and that meant she was far from home. She sighed as she turned towards the large wooden door, curious if the interior looked as ancient as the exterior. She followed the large shouldered man who easily pushed the doors open after swiping a card on the side of the entry. She walked into a hallway, heavy drapes hung from the wall shielding what seemed to be paintings from view. Kyung Mi jumped when the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind her. The hall was dimly lit by multiple light bulbs, she sighed in relief, at least there was electricity, as little as she needed, she knew that after having lived with electricity it would’ve been hard to get use to candle light. Her imagination was probably playing tricks, she damned herself for having read so many books about old castles and monsters. The man turned to her and smiled reassuringly. 

\- Welcome to MX mansion, since you will be staying with us for a while I think it’s time I present myself, I’m secretary Son. I’m Mr. Shin’s right hand man and help and represent him in all business that happens outside these walls. 

She nodded and held out her hand to shake his hand. 

\- Hum, nice to meet you, I’m Go Kyung Mi. 

He smiled at her and took her hand in his. 

\- I know who you are, he told her. 

She looked at him confused but he shook his head stopping her from asking. He then took out a cellphone from the inner pocket of his suit’s jacket and quickly dialed a number. 

\- There’s been a change of plans… No… I will take care of the boss, he said before glancing at her. Just get down here and get our guest settled. 

He quickly hung up before turning back to face her. 

\- Someone will be down shortly, to take you to your room, I am sorry to leave you waiting alone, but I need to get things settled with the master of the house.  
\- Hum, okay… 

He smiled at her reassuringly and made his way down the hall and disappeared around the corner. She looked around trying to taking the dark atmosphere that seemed to way on the property. Her heart was beating faster as time went by and worry and fear crept through her mind. Then she heard voices getting closer and closer and two figures emerged at the end of the hall. The two men froze mid step when they saw her by the front door. 

\- It’s a girl? Said the white haired one.  
\- My eyes work perfectly fine hyung, said the other.

They stood still for a moment looking at each other as if having a silent conversation. She couldn’t hear the exchange but she made her way towards them. 

\- Could she? Wondered the older one under his breath  
\- If so, that means… started the other before snapping his mouth shut as Kyung Mi came within hearing distance. 

They met her half way, slowly getting nervous, it’s only then that she noticed their eyes. The first one had white hair and piercing icy blue eyes, the other was taller and his eyes were a bright green contrasting with the dark brown of his hair. She couldn’t look away, captivated by their irises that could only be the result of colored contacts. But the color was so bright giving out a shine she had never seen. The white haired young man pulled her out of her staring by stepping a little closer and holding out his hand palm up. 

\- I’m Minhyuk, he presented himself with a smile pulling the corner of his lips up. 

She smiled warily and slowly dropped her hand in his to shake it, but he brought it up to his lips and grazed then on her skin. His touch felt cool, too cold to be healthy yet it warmed her from within. She suddenly felt comforted by his presence close to her. The taller man by his side rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics.

\- Would you stop flirting with everything that has a figure! he said exasperated.  
\- You mean to say you don’t want me to sweet talk you anymore? I was planning on h…  
\- Please say nothing more! He cut him off. I’m Hyungwon, he said smiling as he shook her hand. 

While Minhyuk had felt cool, almost cold to the touch, Hyungwon’s skin felt warm and fresh against her palm. She looked at them a little confused but decided against asking any questions for the time being. 

\- My name is Kyung Mi, she said. 

They stood there for a while, none of them saying anything, her out of shyness them because they were lost in the multiple possibilities and ways things could turn out really bad. Eventually curiosity got the better of Minhyuk. 

\- I’m sorry to ask but how did you come to be brought here?  
\- Oh, I guess my father didn’t fulfill his end of the deal. Hum Mr. Son came to take him away, but he is in no shape to leave the house… I… I said I would take his place. 

Their eyes grew wide. 

\- For a broken deal? Asked Hyungwon before looking at his friend.  
\- Yes? She answered unsure. 

Their reaction to her reason for being here was starting to scare her and just as she opened her mouth to ask Minhyuk’s phone rang. He was quick to answer. 

\- Yes? Right away hyung. Yes, yes, goodbye. 

He looked at Hyungwon, and the taller one sighed in relief. She squinted her eyes at them, it seemed they were speaking without words. They jolted back to reality it seemed because they both looked at her and smiled reassuringly. Minhyuk told her that he would show her to her room now that everything was settled with the boss. 

Shownu took out his colored contacts before knocking on the door. _“Come in” _his boss’ voice rang through his mind. He pushed the door open and stepped in the office, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture of embarrassment and worry. Even after living with him for almost four years, he still had trouble when it came to his outbursts of anger. He walked to the desk over which the pink haired man was hunched. They were probably going over the details of a contract. Shownu waited patiently for them to finish it off, he nodded at his colleague and friend before stepping closer. The man didn’t bother to look up.__

_“Did you take care of Mr. Go?” _The voice rang bored in the man’s mind.  
_“Hum. There was a change of plans…” _He answered with care.____

The blond man snapped his eyes up to his friend’s, they glowed a bright blood red, in contrast to his pale white skin. He clenched his jaw, pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side.  
_“And what was it that made you take it upon yourself to change my plans?” _His voice rang in the large shouldered man’s mind as if through clenched teeth.  
Shownu wasn’t fazed by his friend, his face showed no emotions as he let Wonho examine him. _“EXPLAIN!” _The voice demanded.____

\- The daughter offered to take his place. 

This caught the blond man’s attention, he loosened his jaw and waited for his older friend to continue. 

\- I brought her here.

_“YOU WHAT?!” _  
\- She’s waiting in the hall. She volunteered to come, albeit she didn’t know where she was going to be taken or what would be asked of her but she volunteered.__

Wonho squinted at his friend, no words needed to be said, he dropped onto his chair and his hand went to his temple, hiding half of his face. It was the first time anyone had volunteered to take someone else’s place and it was a woman. 

\- Wonho, she’s here of her own free wi… Shownu tried but the blond man held up a hand stopping him before he could say anything.  
_“Fine…” ___  
\- You know what this could mean, she coul…  
_“I know! I do not need a reminder that time is running out!” _he cut him off.__ Shownu took it as a sign to leave before doing so he set a hand on his friend’s shoulder drawing up the blond man’s attention. Red eyes bore into violet and light brown ones, shinning with anxiousness and worry, he had until winter, that meant a little over six months. Would it be enough?  
  
\- Don’t worry too much about it, just… be yourself.  
  
Wonho looked at his friend raising an eyebrow, looking at him wondering if he was being serious. _“Being myself is just what got me into this fucked up situation” _. The older man sighed, he knew his friend had a soft heart, only his childhood had him build a rough harsh shell, and it was time for him to shed it, or they would all pay for it. He pulled out his phone and called Minhyuk.__  


\- Minhyuk, show her to one of the rooms in the east wing, it seems she’ll be staying with us for a while.  
\- Yes, right away hyung, Minhyuk’s voice ran through the phone.  
\- Make sure you get her to come to dinner and please don’t scare her away before Wonho meets her ‘kay?  
\- Yes, yes, goodbye.  
Shownu hung up and sighed hoping Minhyuk wouldn’t be too enthusiast at having a girl stay. He bid goodbye to the blond who was lost in his thoughts, wringing his fingers. His mouth was a tight thin line and his eyes shined brighter. Wonho sighed, how was he going to do this? How could he get her to see past the bright red eyes, the thick black thread messily keeping his lips shut, the fact that she will be able to hear his voice in her mind, the claw marks that came from under his left eyes and down his face, his neck and under his collar, dragging down over his chest not to mention the horns.  
She just had to add the horns’ He thought to himself, he would’ve preferred it if his whole body had been covered in scars, the sown lips were already bad enough, thick black thread in crisscrossed in zigzags not only over his lips but also up his cheeks creating some sort of horrific smile. That he could still somewhat handle but ‘GODDAMNED HORNS?!’ he thought, ‘of all things? It had to be horns?’ Who would ever get over that, albeit they weren’t that huge but still. ‘I already looked like a fucked-up rag doll, but the fucking horns take the cake’ he thought to himself wondering how anyone would ever look over that. His friends and housemates, had gotten used to it over the years and didn’t see anything anymore but he didn’t have years to woo her, he had but a mere number of months and time runs out fast when coming closer to the d-day.


	3. Anger Outbursts

Kyung Mi followed Minhyuk and Hyungwon through the halls and up a few flights of stairs taking in her surroundings. It was a strangely perfect blend of old and new, of dimness and brightness. Everything gave off a greyish vibe, as if covered under a veil, yet the lights and modern elements brought an artificial brightness. Someone had tried to get rid of the grey that clung to the property. They passed a number of doors and took a few turns before they stopped in front of a wooden door painted in a deep burgundy. Hyungwon pulled out a set of keys and took one off before unlocking the door and handing her the key.

\- This is going to be your room, I notice you don’t have a bag so we’ll probably send someone to get you your clothes but you should find a couple of things in the chest, the tall man told you.

\- The bathroom is right through that door, Minhyuk said pointing at a door in the bedroom you were given. I’ll come and get you for dinner, for now rest you must be tired.

She thanked them and watched them disappear around a corner before she closed and locked the door not even bothering to take in the room surrounding her. As soon as it was locked her knees caved under her body and she crashed to the floor. Tears ran down her face as everything that happened that day crashed down on her. She was well aware of the activity of the owner of the castle, everyone knew and everyone pretended not to know. She couldn’t understand how her father came to make a deal with the mysterious individual. She couldn’t believe that her father could be capable of striking a deal. It was no secret that the consequences of not fulfilling your part were drastic. She couldn’t stop her cries, her throat hurt, her eyes swelled up, she had more and more trouble breathing as sobs caught in the back of her throat. Her face was wet with tears as she pulled herself up starting to feel anger take over her. How could her father do that? How could he endanger not only himself but her mother and herself? How could he live with himself for all those years knowing payment would one day be due?! She wasn’t thinking clearly her mind was a jumbled mess of questions and reproaches. As much as she loved her father she could not understand why he had no fulfilled his part of the deal. She ran her hands through her hair tangling her fingers into them and let out a loud pained cry. She didn’t care who heard her scream, she didn’t care if anyone came, she was trapped and she had no idea when she would be able to leave. In blinded anger and distressed sadness, she grabbed the first thing that her hand touched and tossed it against to wall next to the door. It turned out to be a vase, that exploded in multiple shining pieces that scattered onto the floor. She froze in surprise at her sudden rage. Her whole body started shaking, and she fell back onto the bed. She closed her eyes, draping her arm over them and took in slow controlled breaths. She didn’t know how long she stayed like this, was it an hour? A few minutes? Or longer? But she was eventually drawn from her attempts at calming down by a knock on the door.

\- Miss Kyung Mi? Minhyuk’s voice came from behind the door. Dinner is ready to be served.

She sighed and got up to unlock the door, quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes and face and walk out. He was taken aback by her messy hair and swollen eyes when she appeared in the door frame. His eyes filled with compassion as he looked down to the broken pieces of the vase. When he looked up he smiled reassuringly at her and gently wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her to the bathroom. She looked around the large bathroom, it was larger than her room and bathroom from back home put together and even though it was brightly lit it still retained that grey hue that seemed to drape the property. Minhyuk sat her on the edge of the large bathtub and turned his back to her. He made his way to one of the two sinks and wet a cloth. He turned back to her grabbing a brush from the counter before walking back to her. He set the hairbrush in her hands and started gently dabbing the wet cloth on her cheeks, wiping away her dried tears. His icy blue eyes were soft and caring as he cooled down her face. She couldn’t move, too awestruck by his beauty up close, his soft features and his smile that seemed to always stretch his lips were so close to her own face that she felt herself blush. His smile grew wider as he set the cloth to the side and took the brush from her hands.

\- I… I can do it, she protested.

\- Hush, let me, try and relax, if you’re too tense the boss will sense it, he said quietly as he ran the brush through her hair.

After a few minutes, he was done and she felt lighter and warmer as if a blanket had been draped over her shoulders and hugged her tight. She got up and thanked him before following him out, her eyes straining on the broken vase, he noticed the anxious look in her eyes and told her not to worry about it. She sighed and nodded before following him through the numerous halls. They walked for a while, and once again she took in her surroundings trying to memorize the way so she could soon roam around alone, if she was allowed to that is. They passed the hall she arrived through and climbed the large flight of stairs and then turned towards where they came from, it was like Minhyuk was making sure she wouldn’t remember her way. She could see a cheeky smile pulling at his lips and squinted at him when he chuckled.

\- I don’t have eyes in the back of my head but I can feel your stare, he said with a giggle.

\- I…

\- It’s fine, you can stare, he said in an exuberantly husky voice before sending a wink her way.

She scoffed at his antics, which only made him giddier and smile wider, she shook her head at her reactions. She couldn’t help but feel comfortable at his side, she felt at home which was a strange thought to have while she was god knows where, here was. It took them a while longer before they reached a pair of giant doors but they eventually reached them. They were made of massive wood and went up as high as the ceilings, orneries were carved into them in intricate patterns, that made her head spin. Minhyuk stopped dead in his tracks before he turned to look at her, he smiled reassuringly.

\- You go in alone tonight, he said trying to sound a reassuring as he possibly could.

\- Aren’t you eating? She asked him.

\- I already ate, he told her smiling warmly creating a chilling contrast with his icy blue eyes.

\- Oh, she answered seeming disappointed.

\- Don’t be scared, he doesn’t bite, he said trying to reassure her. Oh! And don’t mind the dark part of the room too much, he doesn’t do well in light some days.

And with those words he turned and left her in front of the door. She stood there looking at the doors, wandering her gaze along the multiple carvings that decorated the massive wooden entry, when suddenly one of the doors slid open just a bit. She jumped back thinking someone would come out but after a moment a voice rang “ _Come in_ ”. It was soft and smooth and entrancing, she felt herself curious about who the voice belonged to. She wondered if the owner was a soft as his voice, if he was a sweet as those two words had sounded. She took a cautious step forward, then another and another before slipping through the open door into a grand dining room. Her breath was taken away by the room, half of it brightly lit while the other was drown by shadows. A long table was set in the middle of the room, not far from a lit fireplace, a chandelier hanging rather low lighting up a set place, making it possible to see the outline of the other half of the table. She could make out a person seated at the edge of it and before them a set table.

\- _Come sit, it’s almost past diner time_ , there was the voice again.

Just as he finished his sentence, a clock rang from his side of the room striking the end of an hour and the start of a new one. She was startled by the sound of a chair dropping to the ground, a loud growl like sound followed from the dark side of the room making her take a few steps back just as a plate of food went flying up against the empty wall above the fireplace making her jump once again. The growl like noise grew louder, Wonho wondered himself where it was coming from. He couldn’t believe the nerve on the girl, she arrived late and didn’t even apologize. She looked at the shattered pieces of the plate, the food on the ground, her body started shaking. She was starting to worry about her safety, the man in this room surely had a temper and she had no desire to be on the receiving end of it. Just as she thought about it a cup came flying by her head and shatter against the wall behind her, she let out a scream, she froze in place, shaking more than she ever had. This man was not in his right mind. Her eyes were focused on the fire place, set on the dancing flames trying to focus on stopping her body from shaking like a leaf. She was startled by the same voice as earlier. “ _I have a very specific time frame for dinner_ ” he sounded frustrated and angry, “ _As you are a guest here, I thought I would wait before eating_ ”. She shivered at the cold tone, suddenly she heard footsteps. “ _However, I did not get to eat tonight, I already skipped lunch and you see I’m not as nice as I can be when my stomach is empty_.” Just as he finished his sentence the long wooden table was flipped to the side and everything that was on it scattered to the ground in a mess of food and pieces of porcelain. The sheer force he had used almost turned the heavy wooden table over upside down and sent some food into the fire that burst in large hungry flames.

She tore her eyes away from the fireplace and set her gaze on her feet, she took in a breath as she saw a pair of black dress shoes appear in front of her.

“ _You should apologize, do you not think so_?” She shivered at the tone of his voice, it had turned sickenly sweet and condescending at the same time. She tightened her jaw and pressed her lips shut. She had not asked him to wait, nor did she expect him to, after all she was here because her father had not fulfilled his part of a deal. “ _I said! You should apologies for making me skip my meals do you not think so?!_ ” His voice was menacing, deep and demanding. She sighed, and reluctantly mumbled out an apology, only that wasn’t enough for the man in front of her. “ _Now say it like you mean it, look at me…_ ” She saw his hand come close to her face and pursed her lips before snapping her head up to look at him. Her mouth was half open, her apology about to drop angrily form her lips but she froze as she saw his face. The red eyes, the sewn lips, tread forming a sick smile, the scars coming down from his left eye, down his cheek and his neck, the horns everything at once made her feel dizzy. He tilted his head to the side looking at her eyebrows frowned, “ _Still no apology?_ ” as her eyes rolled back she realized she had been hearing him in her head all this time.

Wonho’s eyes grew wide as he saw her lose balance, he saw her eyes roll to the back of her head and suddenly she fell against his chest. He was quick to catch her before she slipped to the floor and hurt her head. He swallowed hard and picked her up bridal style ready to carry her back to her room. He sighed as he looked at her serene face, he pushed down the pang of hurt he felt at her reaction, his anger completely forgotten. She had been scared of him, her face flashing with horror appeared before his eyes and he shook his head to chase the picture away. Of course, she would be scared, who wouldn’t be? Even he had been terrified when he had first seen himself in a mirror.

He pulled her up closer to his chest and started making his way to her room. He stared at her face, she was beautiful, she had plumped pink lips, thick eyelashes caressed her high cheeks. Her hair fanned out and down her back and tickled his arm with each step he took. He couldn’t take his eyes of her, she was absorbed by her soft features, she seemed to be his age or maybe a little younger. Maybe Shownu was right, maybe she was the key to their freedom, he had not seen disgust in her eyes, it gave him a little bit of hope, and he cussed himself for it, because another part of him was wondering how someone as beautiful as her would ever love someone looking like him…

He thought back on the day Hyungwon and Minhyuk had showed up on his doorstep, it had been a little over a month since the incident. He had just learned that two people had reached the end of the time appointed by their contract just a few hours before he opened the door on both young men. As soon as his eyes met theirs he knew she had sent them. Bright icy blue and green eyes looked back at him, unscathed faces, fair skin he had let them in reluctantly ready to get rid of them as soon as possible but he couldn’t find it in himself. Instead he gave each of them a room and made sure they had what they needed. He paid them to help take care of the castle. He felt the effect of their presence the very first evening, he felt warmer, calmer. Not long after four more men around his age came to his doorstep. At first he had refused to let them in. ‘As if I need any more handsome guys to make things harder for me’ he had thought. But with Minhyuk’s soothing words and Hyungwon’s reassuring he eventually let them in. Just like with the first two it wasn’t long before he got along and they all became friends. It turned out to really help him, Shownu took care of everything that needed to be taken care of in town and with the company, Kihyun was really effective with the contracts and it made things easier for Wonho to have someone have them signed and bring them back rather than using private mailing companies. Finally, Changkyun and Jooheon took care of the property making sure the castle didn’t break down and the vegetation didn’t swallow it up.

Just a few halls away from her room Kyung Mi started coming back to her senses…


	4. Apologies

**_Just a few halls from her room Kyung Mi started coming back to her senses_** , she felt herself being carried and wondered for a moment where she was and why was she being carried? She felt strong arms holding her tightly against a muscular chest, she sighed in content at the warm feeling of the man carrying her. Then, everything came flooding her mind and her eyes popped open and landed on Wonho. Surprised she scrambled and almost fell to the ground but he held her close and tightened his hold. “ _I won’t hurt you_ ” his voice rang in her head making her stop struggling and tentatively look up at him. When she stopped struggling against his hold he put her down gently. Immediately she took several steps back. Wonho felt a slash of pain course through him. He looked down embarrassed about his behavior in the dining room. He had never intended to scare her or get angry, only time was running out, he was become less and less like himself and was getting desperate to find a way out, he couldn’t bare living in seclusion anymore. Her eyes were locked on him, watching his every move. “ _I apologize for losing my temper earlier, I have no intention of hurting you. Things are…”_ He seemed to hesitate before she heard his voice again _“a bit hectic these days_ ”.

She kept quiet, not daring to say a word, worried he would burst out in anger again. He sighed at her shaking form and looked down at his feet. Not really knowing what to do with himself he dropped to the ground and slouched back against the wall opposite her. He brought his knees closer to his chest and hung his arms off them. His head hung low, in this position she saw his face at another angle, making the black thread seem more threatening as it was drastically in contrast with his pale skin. It sent shivers down her spine, she swallowed hard, her eyes strained on his face, taking in his features. Her heart rate calmed down as she saw the soft shape of his eyes, the warmness of his irises, his hunted look gave away a deep sadness, she saw a broken man before her, hurt and scared by pain, regret and anger.

She could see that his appearance was relatively recent, she could see it in his eyes, in the way the corners of his mouth pulled down in a disgusted grimace. She could definitely see him being handsome, she could imagine the threads away, they were the main thing hiding his true face. The angry black lines thick and messy against his skin, they formed some sort of sick smile. His red eyes didn’t really bother her, they had flashed brighter earlier and it had surprise her, but as she examined him, she felt warmer. As for the horns, they were a little ridiculous and didn’t seem genuine. She was surprised at how little time it took her to accept his appearance, sure she would need more time to get used to him, if she ever saw him again… He seemed pretty hurt by her reaction.

She took a few careful steps towards him, he snapped his head up and locked eyes with her, they were teary and surprised. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, surprised and terrified for what would come next. She held his gaze, never looking away.

  * I apologies, I…



But she was cut off.

“ _No!”_ his voice ringing loudly through her mind and his never moving lips startled her, ‘I might have been a little too loud’ he thought to himself before she heard him again.

“ _No”_ his voice was softer, calmer “ _Don’t, I should be the one apologizing,”_ his words rang through her mind like velvet, smooth and warm putting her at ease. She wondered if he spoke with the same voice before, when he could speak. “ _I shouldn’t have gotten angry; I’m having trouble controlling that part of me…”_ He pushed himself up from the floor, stood up straight at his full height, his demeanor became stronger and a little intimidating as he squared his shoulders and held his head higher. He noticed her wariness and immediately, slouched a little, softened his look and titled his head towards her. “ _Sorry, I’m not used to being around new people…_ ” He scratched the back of his neck and nervously ruffled his hair.

  * I… It’s fine, she told him tearing her eyes away from him to look around trying to remember which way her room was.



She scratched her temple frowning, trying to picture the halls she had walked through with Minhyuk but couldn’t picture them? The edge of his lips pulled up in what could be called a smile and he realized the thread gave a little slack, just enough for him to stretch his lips without it hurting as it had in the past. “ _I’ll show you to your room”_ once again she was startled to hear his voice ring through her mind.

  * Okay, that is going to take some getting used to, she told him. I’d like that, I feel like I’d get lost and never find my way.



He chuckled and focused his eyes on her, “ _You’ll eventually find your way. Just keep away from the west tower.”_ His words got her curious, but she decided not to ask, not tonight at least. She followed as he started walking towards her room, they stayed silent, it was a little weird and he kept wanting to say something but didn’t know what to talk about. He hadn’t had human interaction outside the small group that had lived with him since almost the beginning of this. He was surprised at her reaction she seemed relatively calm, her heart rate seemed normal, maybe a little faster than it would be if she were fully comfortable with his presence. He understood her cautiousness, after all he had hauled a few objects her way just earlier and his appearance wasn’t the most soothing one. Still he was amazed at her quick acceptance of him, or at least the lack of disgust and fear for his appearance.

He walked slowly wanting to be with her for a little longer, even if it was just for a few minutes, it had been so long since he had been in female company and her presence was warm and peaceful. He soaked it up, taking it all in all while he occasionally glanced at her form the corner of his eyes. He felt serenity take over him, for the first time in a long time he felt lighter, at ease, all traces of anger and resentment was starting to fade slowly. He noticed she kept a distance from him, walking on step behind to follow his moves and just at an arm’s reach. It took all the control he could muster not to grab her hand and pull her close. He was dying to know how her body would feel molded too him. He wondered if it felt as warm and soft as her presence and if it did he wanted nothing but to latch onto her and never let go. He had no idea where this was coming from, but it felt like an itch asking to be scratched, a thought in the back of his head.

Too soon for him they were in front of her door. He sighed, and turned to her. “ _Well here you are_ ” she smiled and thanked him before opening the door and quickly slipping into the room. Before she closed it, he noticed the shattered pieces of vase on the floor, her foot stepping just millimeters from a sharp shard. “ _What happened?_ ” his voice rang soft and worried in her mind. She spun around on her heel and tripped with her hand landing the blow just next to the piece of broken vase. He sighed in relief seeing she wasn’t injured. He had moved so fast being in the frame of the door just as she fell, ready to catch her. Her gazed landed on the shatters around her, she swallowed hard, was he going to get angry again? Her whole body started shaking, he was so close to her, towering over her, she was in a vulnerable position it would be easy for him to just… “ _Come on let’s get you up before you hurt yourself_ ” his voice still had its soft and worried tone, she looked up at him as he held out his hind to help her up. She held out a shaking hand, he grabbed onto it and pulled her up. She looked down at the floor and back up at him.

  * I’m sorry for the vase… I got carried away… She tried to explain.



He chuckled and shook his head, “ _It’s fine I hated the thing anyway_ ” he said as he crouched to pick up the pieces, she went to help but he held up a hand stopping her, “ _You might cut yourself_ ”. She scoffed and crouched by his side to pick up the bits and pieces.

  * I am not a child, …



‘I am well aware of that’ he thought to himself.

  * I can manage to pick up porcelain without hurting myself.



He looked at her about to protest, but she cut him off.

  * It’s fine, you can leave…



He was taken aback by her words, he felt a little hurt at her not wanting him to stay but he had to remind himself she had only been here for a few hours. He nodded and got up before looking down at her. “ _Hum… I don’t know your name_ ”, when she looked up to look at him he was scratching the back of his neck.

  * Kyung Mi, she said.



He nodded wanting more than anything to be alble smile at her.

  * And what should I call you? Mr. Shin?



“ _Mr. Shin was my father. You can call me Wonho_ ” she smiled at his words and nodded. He told her he would see her the next day for breakfast.

  * Don’t wait for me if I’m late, she told him.



“ _Goodnight Kyung Mi_ ”.

Once Wonho was out of the room, Kyung Mi let out a breath as she picked up the last pieces of the broken vase. She had been worried he would burst out in anger again. She got up and went into the bathroom to throw the pieces in the trash. When she went back into the room she took the time to actually look at it, she had been so distracted when she first arrived that she hadn’t even gazed at the room she would be staying in for god knows how long.

The room was bigger than the one she had back home and right in the middle against the right wall was a huge canopy bed in which three people could comfortably sleep, with a bedside table on either side of it. At the foot of the bed was a big chest, she guessed was for clothes, on either side of the door were two identical white cupboards that seemed, just like the bed and bedside tables, like they came from a different time. The wall facing the door was a huge window giving onto a small balcony that overviewed the inner courtyard. On the left of the room there was the door that lead to the bathroom and a dressing table that seemed to come right from her dreams.  She was in awe, the walls were all painted soft shade of grey she had never seen before, it seemed like it brought light into the room.

She sighed as she walked to the bed, she would have to sleep in her clothes tonight, since she didn’t have anything with her, just as the thought left her mind someone knocked on the door. She wondered if it was Minhyuk once again but when she opened the door she was face to face with a pink haired and eyed man. She froze in place her mouth hanging open the words she was about to say forgotten. He was one of the most beautiful she had ever laid eyes on, he seemed to come from a complete other world, he radiated grace. She realized she was staring for a while when he clicked his tongue, she shook her head to get her ideas in place and cleared her throat.

  * Can I help you? She asked.



His lips pursed and he tilted his head to the side, his eyes ran over her body, lingering here and there, taking his sweet time until she was wringing her hand uncomfortable from his analytical gaze. He suddenly snapped his eyes back to hers and smiled softly, his feature suddenly seeming younger, his expression softened.

  * Here, he said handing her a bag. Your stuff should be there some time tomorrow morning. I supposed you would feel more comfortable if you had some things to wash up and to sleep in.



She took the bag from his hand and peaked inside, there was body wash, a toothbrush, toothpaste, face cream and a set of pajamas. She looked up at him and smiled.

  * Thank you.
  * You’re welcome, I’ll leave you then.



He turned around and just as she was going to ask him his name he looked over his shoulder.

  * I’m Kihyun by the way.



His words came along with a wink, a ‘tsk’-like sound and a smirk and with that he walked away leaving her in the door frame head spinning. ‘How many more gorgeous men are there in this castle?’ She asked herself as she closed the door and went into the bathroom to change for the night.


	5. How long?

It was a soft knocking sound that woke her up the next morning. For a moment, she thought she was home but her bed was too soft, too large and too warm to be hers.  She sighed, she had hoped it had all been a nightmare but alas, she was still in the large bedroom, alone. She slipped out of bed expecting cold air to hit her but she was surprised to find the temperature of the room be relatively warm. Once again she heard the same knocking sound, was she imagining things or was someone at the door? She cautiously made her way to the door and opened it just enough to peak outside. Right there on her door step stood a grey-haired guy, he couldn’t be older than her, he stood next to two larges suitcases and was looking anywhere but at her.

  * Can I help you? She asked him catching his attention.



He snapped his head in her direction setting his silver-grey eyes on hers. She smiled tentatively at her and she smiled back. He cleared his throat.

  * I brought you your stuff… Breakfast is in an hour someone will be there to walk you to the dining room.
  * Hum thanks, she said.



He nodded his head and went to turn around before facing her once again.

  * Let me help you out with those…



She shook her head trying to get her thoughts straight as he grabbed the handles of the suitcases and dragged them into the room after she stepped aside and held the door open. He set them against the wall next to the nightstand and looked around the room as if it was his first time seeing the inside. He looked a bit lost as if he had something to add but no words came out of his mouth.

  * Hum… Thanks, I’m Kyung Mi by the way, she said holding out her hand breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled.
  * Oh, he said seeming to realized he had been silent for too long. I’m Changkyun…



He took her hand in his and gave it a soft shake. She looked at the watch on his wrist and his eyes almost popped out of his head.

  * I have to go, he said before leaving not even bothering to wait for a response.



Kyung Mi was once again left alone, she sighed looking at the two suitcases. They reached her waist and just looking at the size they could’ve held her. Exactly how long was she going to have to stay here? From the looks of it, it seemed they had taken all of her clothes. She sighed, she had an hour to be ready, she did not want to see Wonho angry once again. She laid both the suitcases on the floor and opened them, inside one of them her clothes had been neatly packed, folded neatly and stored in airtight bags for place efficiency. In the other she found the few pairs of shoes she owned, her make up supplies, her small jewelry box and all her toiletries. She found a note on top of her clothes, her name written in her father’s handwriting, she swallowed hard before opening the envelope with shaky hands. She was glad to find out her aunt had come to help him, until he was better. In his letter, he told her he loved her, that he was thankful for his daughter, his words gave her strength, encouraged her. He reassured her, he knew she could get through whatever it was she was to do. It was short and sweet and it brought tears to her eyes. It made her miss him more, she wished she could be by his side. She took in a deep breath and tried to calm down. She took out a simple outfit from the suitcase and went into the bathroom.

The warm water felt like heaven on her skin, she stayed in the shower for a while just letting the water flow and relax her. She got out of the shower and quickly got dressed, she hadn’t found her watch yet, for all she knew someone could knock on the door at this very moment. She pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans, a black tank top over which she pulled a white fluffy sweater. She ran a brush through her messy hair and put on some tinted face cream. She looked at herself in the mirror, fortunately the bags under her eyes weren’t noticeable, they were still a little red from her crying but it was still discreet. She walked out of the bathroom and back to the suitcases, starting to put away her stuff, if they had brought back every article of clothing she owned it probably meant she would be staying for a while. She had barely started when someone knocked on the door. She hung the dress she had in hand and went to open the door, to be met with warm green eyes. Once again she was taken aback by Hyungwon’s beauty, his tall lean figure, he looked like he had come straight out of a magazine. He waited patiently for her to get her ideas together and smiled to himself, chuckling at her reaction. She eventually gathered herself and greeted him, he smiled back.

  * Good morning, his soft voice caressing her ears.



She closed the door behind her and followed him through familiar halls, he took her through the halls she had walked along with Wonho the night before then took a number of turns until they reached a different door than the one that lead into the dining room. He looked at his watch and turned to smile at her.

  * We’re even early, he said.



She smiled up at him when he spoke, she didn’t know how but she felt comfortable with him, just like Minhyuk there was this warmth around him even if his demeanor was cold, he presence, his gaze and words were warm and calming. He opened the door and motioned for her to go in first, he followed close behind as they walked into the small dining room. The room was cozy and warm and light came in through a big window making it the brightest room she had seen so far. The table in the middle was much smaller, just big enough to sit ten people and most of the seats were taken up by the young man she had met the previous day. Her eyes fell upon secretary Son who sat at one end of the table, on his left was Changkyun who seemed to be the youngest of them all, on his right was an empty seat towards which Hyungwon walked. Next to the tall man sat Minhyuk who had twisted his body to send a wink her way when she had walked in. Just opposite of him the pink haired Kihyun locked gaze with her, his intense look made her squirm, it felt like he was looking right through her. Between him and Changkyun sat a brown-haired man she had never seen, his face stoic and serious, his entire being seeming threatening until Changkyun knocked him with his elbow and pointed his chin towards Kyung Mi transferring the man’s attention on her and at the moment he looked at her a smile stretched his lips, putting his dimples on full display. His aura changed and she relaxed as she couldn’t help but find him adorably cute, his golden eyes barely visible because of his smile.

She took in the table once more not knowing where to sit, the seat next to Minhyuk was free, at the moment she felt more comfortable sitting by his side. But she hesitated and just as she was about to take a step toward the empty seat next to the white haired man a deep voice rang.

  * You can sit next to me.



She spun around almost falling back but Wonho caught her by the waist pulling her body close to his and smiling down at her. She shivered as he looked down at her smirking, red eyes sparkling and his arm tightening its hold on her. She froze in surprise when she saw his stretched lips and exposed teeth. The absence of black thread or scars had her confused. She was sure that the night before his lips were sewn with thick black thread, the area around his lips irritated by the angry stiches. Had she dreamed them? His eyes were still bright red, he still had the scars below his eye and down his neck and he still had horns. Had she only imagined the thread? He chuckled at her surprised look and let her go.

  * Come sit, I’ll explain, he said making his was to the other end of the table and pulling a chair out for her.



She shook her head trying to get her thoughts straight, he had just talked, his lips had just moved… She felt like she was going crazy, what next? Food would appear on the table? Fortunately for her sanity, Kihyun and the golden eyed guy got up and walked through the door on the far left of the room and came back in a few moments later with trays of food. Everything was set on the table and everyone started to dig in. Wonho had gotten a plate full of food already and had started eating. She watched them for a moment unsure what to do, until Kihyun leaned towards her.

  * Here have some, he said filling her plate. You’ve got to be quick before they eat everything, he told her with a smile.



She smiled back at him and took a bit of everything tasting the multiple side dishes. Wonho cleared his throat catching everyone’s attention.

  * I think you’ve met everyone here, right?
  * Not me! Jooheon interjected the golden eye man who started pouting and bursting out in aegyo.



He quickly stopped at Changkyun’s elbow jab.

  * I’m Jooheon, he presented himself from his seat.
  * Now that this is done, started the blond man. I would like to officially welcome to the manor. I’m sorry you had to come here under these circumstances, it is very kind of you to take your father’s place.



She nodded and looked down at her food, she missed her father. Wonho looked at her saddened expression. 

  * You must have question, he said his voice soft and soothing.
  * H…How long will I have to stay?



The blond man looked at her, eyes meeting hers, he held her gaze for a moment, drowning in her eyes, just wanting to lose himself for a moment.

  * Until the winter solstice, you’ll be by your father’s side for Chirstmas, he said in somber tone.
  * S… Six months?! She exclaimed a little louder than she intended.



Wonho’s expression dropped, he became serious, his eyes darkened and filled with a whirlpool of emotions, all flashing too fast for her to read them. He sighed, part of him did not want to keep her here, not for so long, not against her will, the other part of him wanted to have a chance to get to know her, a chance to be freed from his current appearance, that part of him wanted nothing more than for her to free him.

  * Six months, he said in a low tone. Six months with me, he cleared his throat, with us and then you don’t have to see any of us again, you don’t have to see this place again.



She sighed knowing she didn’t really have a choice. However, she could see he was torn between forcing her to stay and the possibility of letting her leave. They went back to eating for a while, soon everyone was finished and the table was cleared, still his lips were free of thread.

  * You can go anywhere on the property except the west tower, it’s completely off limits. You can even go in the gardens, … If you try running I will know, his last words were menacing coming out harsher than he meant them two.



She swallowed hard and nodded. She might as well get used to the place, after all she was going to stay for half a year. Just as the last words left his mouth the clock rang the next hour and he groaned in pain, his head dropping onto the table with a loud thud. She was surprised and jumped at the sound. His pained moans made her a little worried and she leaned closer but just as her hand was about to set on his arm Minhyuk held her back, shaking his head to her. When she looked back to the blond man he was lifting his head to face her, lips once again shut by the black thread. She leaned back, away from him in surprise. He sighed at her reaction, it would take some time for her to get used to him. ‘As if the horns weren’t enough’ he thought to himself. How could she ever see past it? She seemed terrified of him. “ _I get to eat normally but only during specific time frames._ ” His voice once again ringing in her mind, like it had the previous evening, answering her question, his voice was a smooth and soft either way, if he spoke or if she heard his words in her mind. Anyone would’ve thought they were going crazy, but she didn’t, she knew something was going on.


	6. Garden Walks

Breakfast was just over and Kyung Mi barely had the time to register the movement around her that Minhyuk had already grabbed her wrist and was pulling her out of her chair, excitedly telling her about the gardens. She giggled at his enthusiasm and let herself be pulled out of the room under Wonho’s unnoticed glaring. Kyung Mi had pulled away her wrist only to grab Minhyuk’s hand, just as they hurried out, making it easier for her to follow behind him. She tried her best to keep pace with the white-haired male but she would stumble every two steps causing him to slow down and smile down at her.

  * You’re too slow Kyung Mi-ah! He said as he pulled her onto his back and started running again.



Her laugh travelled the echoing halls back to the dining room where Wonho had been left alone. He hissed through clenched teeth threads pulling at his skin as his lips drew back from his teeth instinctively. The skin pulled against the thread making him quickly press his lips together to stop the burning sensation. He sighed and pushed his chair back to get up and leave the room. He gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched tightly as he made his way to the west wing of the castle, he was there within a short moment, choosing to run rather than walk. His mind clouded by her laugh, her laugh caused by someone one else than him. His thoughts haunted by the image of her hand closing onto Minhyuk’s. He let out a growl like sound as he slammed open the door to the highest room of the tower. He walked to the window that gave him an overall view of the garden and quickly spotted Kyung Mi and his white-haired friend walking around the allies surrounded by intertwining dead and bright colored plants. He watched them sneer plastered on his face as they walk around. He could hear them talk if he wanted to but he restrained himself from it even if he wanted nothing more than to hear whatever they were saying. Minhyuk suddenly touched her shoulder quickly retracting his hand and running away. Wonho rolled his eyes at his friend’s childish behavior but it was quickly replaced by surprise as he saw her throw her head back and laugh before running after the male.

He sighed and turned away, not wanting to see their interaction anymore. Of course, she would be drawn to Minhyuk, he was everything he had not been, for one he didn’t look like a ragdoll, he was attractive, free of scars, free lips, his eyes were the closest to a natural blue and he didn’t have goddamned horns protruding out of his head. Another growl like sound rumbled in his chest as he slammed his fist against the wall causing a crack to appear on it alongside many others. His eyes eventually settle on the other side of the room where a bush of roses grows out of the stone, three of them dead and dried, one on the floor and a last one almost fully bloomed. He sighed, he didn’t have time, how could she fall for him? When there was Minhyuk with whom she had quickly bonded, Minhyuk who was kind, soft spoken, who always smiled and who felt warm. He felt he stood no chance against his friend, who would ever fall for a beastlike man like him? The rose would fully bloom in a few months and would take a couple of months to wilt and after it fell to the ground he would be stuck like this for the rest of his life.

He eventually made his way to his room, sitting himself at his desk and pulling out an old notebook. It had been years since he had opened it and even longer since he had written onto its pages. He went through the filled pages, lyrics and poems darkened the pages with ink. Some scribbled with rush, some only two sentences, others took up a number of pages, letters to his parents, letters to his friends, his hopes, his dreams, everything he had felt at that point in his life, his arrogance, his bitterness, the real parts of him, all his insecurities and worries. That notebook was his soul bared, naked truth, truth he had quickly learned to push down, deep, locked away, making him turn angry, hurt, resentful and arrogant. He remembered the time he had been just like Minhyuk, kind and warm, fuzzy memories of handing out packed lunched to the homeless, giving his scarf and beanie to a kid no older than him in the blistering winter cold because he had nothing to keep him warm. He had grown cold not long after, his father pressuring him to become a proper son, a son that would be capable of managing the family company. He had gone too far, and he suffered the consequences of pushing down and locking up his real self. But seeing her had broken down his walls and they were crumbling to dust faster than he could keep up with. His pen touched paper and for the first time in years it was for something else than his signature.

Hours passed, lunch time came and went, with Hyungwoo knocking on the door to see if he wanted to join them for lunch or if he wanted someone to bring him something. He didn’t want to go down nor did he want to see her interact and giggle and fawn over Minhyuk like she had probably been doing for the past hours. He didn’t feel like eating either. The older man had sighed and walked away not wanting to bother him any longer. And Wonho went back to writing, he tried to clear his mind, whatever came out made no sense, words came out laying onto the paper in a jumbled mess of nouns, adjectives and verbs, no order, no grammar, just words on paper, but he felt liberated as the words fell onto the notebook.

He was pulled out of his writing a few hours later by careful footsteps making their way up the stairs leading to the highest room of the tower. He frowned, dropping the pen and closing the notebook. No one but him went up there, the others only came to the tower to have him come down for lunch or dinner or whenever they needed him for something and he wasn’t in his office. He listened carefully, focusing on expanding his hearing and he heard it again, careful, light footsteps stroking the floor. He sighed, still unsure of who it could be. He followed quietly, his bare feet barely touching the floor. When he reached the top, he saw Kyung Mi crouched by the rose bush hand reaching for the blooming flower. In an instant, he was behind her pulling her away by the wrist. “ _WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR ENOUGH THE WEST TOWER IS OFF LIMITS!!!_ ” She froze her face contorted in fear at his sneered lips, the thread extending, pulling at his skin, his eyes glowing bright red and the shadows of his face darkened. She couldn’t look away from him. “I asked you a question… _”_ his tone was menacing, low and dark. “ _DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR THIS MORNING?!_ ” his angry words rang loud in her mind, making her jump at the loud sound.

  * I… I…



Words wouldn’t come out of her mouth she was petrified in horror, what would he do to her? “ _Do you have any idea what you could’ve done?!_ ” panic rang through the harsh tone.

  * I… I didn’t know… I’m sorry … I



A full growl left his chest as she tried to apologize “ _LEAVE!_ ” was his last word before pushing her away from him towards the door. She stumbled to catch herself before turning away from him and running down the stairs as fast as she can. She runs through the halls of the castle until she hears voices. She slows down, calms down her breathing and when she turns around the corner spots Minhyuk and secretary Son talking, she waved hello as she made her way to walk past them. The older man asked where she was heading to, she smiled at him and told him she was going for a walk around the gardens. Minhyuk offered to come along but she politely declined stating she needed to think and clear her mind. They nodded and told her that someone would come and get her for dinner if need be. She smiled once again and made her way to the gardens as fast as she could she had memorized the twist and turns and soon enough she pushed a door giving onto the outside. She sighed and started running.

She ran as fast as she could, until she reached the edge of the forest, she hadn’t thought about it, she hesitated for a bit but quickly made her way in. She figured she could follow the road that lead her hear and staying hidden between the trees. It seemed easy enough, she would quickly find a road and she would find a car that would drive her to the closest town and from there she would call her father. Yes, that would work, she could be home by the next morning. She set herself a relatively fast pace, making sure she didn’t trip on roots. But the sun set soon after the beginning of her hike, darkness took over her surroundings, she started tripping and losing sight of the right direction. Quickly enough she was lost and there was no light, the night was dark and the sky was filled with heavy clouds.

Wonho paced the small room eyeing the flower every now and then making sure it was still there. What had she been thinking? He had told her the tower was off limits, he had made himself clear. How could she disregard his word like that? The image of her terrified face flashed before his eyes and he scratched the back of his head, frustrated. He was torn between anger at her possibly ruining everything, anger at her not listening to his words and self-consciousness, he had scared her again, he had gotten angry again, he had pushed her away… How could she possibly fall for him now? After seeing him get carried away twice in less than 24 hours. He ran his hands through his hair fisting strands, tangling his fingers with his blond lock. He groaned in frustration, his emotions a whirlpool of confusion. He eventually slid down the wall, arm hanging over one folded knee and eyes strained on the only splash of color in the small circular room. He stayed like that until sun set and would’ve stayed like that longer but the feel of his mouth being freed from their binds and pounding feet coming up the stairs drew his attention. Soon enough Hyunwoo closely followed by Minhyuk came into the room.

  * We have a problem, said the older one not even needing to catch his breath.
  * She ran, Minhyuk continued. She’s not in the castle, nor is she in the garden…
  * We think she’s in the woods, Hyunwoo stated.
  * Jooheon spotted wolves circling close to the tree line a couple of days ago.



The blond man didn’t need to hear more; he was on his feet in the fraction of a second and was out of the room before the others could react. They had rarely seen him use his abilities, he didn’t like using them. They didn’t bother trying to follow him he was probably already at the edge of the forest.

Wonho stopped in his tracks as he came to the tree line, the sky had darkened, heavy clouds had settled low in the sky. He closed his eyes and focused, he hated using his abilities, they made him feel like some kind of animal but Kyung Mi was most likely in danger. She had probably tried to follow the road but with the lack of light he was almost sure she would have gotten lost. The forest was dense and light barely shone through during summer days, in this time of year it was impossible for normal eyes to see through them. He caught her familiar scent, a growl grew in his chest and his eyes popped open. His red irises were shining brighter than ever. And with that he set to search for her. He followed her track and was surprised as he followed the trail that she had managed to find the road and followed it on quite a distance but suddenly the trail derived. He took the sharp turn and hurried deeper into the forest. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks as he heard her scream, he pushed his legs to go faster. He found her in a small clearing, backed up against a tree as four wolves were preparing to jump on her. Just as one of them settled on his back legs ready to pounce he crouched and pushed his feet against the ground flying in the air and landing right in front of her.

Kyung Mi sighed in relief when she saw the back of a head of blond hair, the tips of his horns visible from behind but relief didn’t last long. His feet had barely touched the ground that the wolves launched themselves forward jumping claws bared onto the man in front of her. She screamed as he pushed off on of the wolves sending him flying against a tree, he kicked another away as he tried to fight off the other two, claws dragged over his arms, his shoulder, his back his chest, he felt like he was being ripped apart. Eventually he managed to get them all away. He fell to his knees panting, exhausted and covered in gashes and blood. His shirt had been ripped into bay the animals’ sharp claws.

  * Are you okay? He asked through jagged breath.



She stood there for a moment looking at the man that had risked him life to save hers, a man her father owed to. His blood red eyes settled on her as he pushed himself up and off the ground. He made his way closer, moving slowly he checked her for any injuries, his hands reached to her shoulders, gently running down her arms to her hands before reaching for her face.

  * I’m okay, she finally managed to get the words out. But you aren’t, let’s get you back and get those wounds disinfected.



He nodded and took a few steps back, he waited for her to get closer to him so they could get home faster. She looked around, completely lost.

  * Hum, … Do you know which way it is? She asked.



He chuckled.

  * Yes, he answered before crouching in front of her. Get on it’ll be faster this way.
  * But your injuri… She tried to protest but he cut her off.
  * It won’t be for long, trust me it won’t hurt…



She watched his crouched form for a moment, pondering before reluctantly getting onto his back making sure to avoid touching his wounds as much as possible. Just as she wrapped her arms around his neck he shot forward surprising her by his speed and a few moments later she was set to the ground and he fell to his knees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not big on author's notes, I usually let my writing speak for itself. I hope you're enjoying the read...


	7. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : The following contains mention of blood, injuries and pain... and language

Wonho set her on her feet as soon as they crossed the tree line, and suddenly dropped to his knees. Before Kyung Mi could thank him, his eyes rolled back and he began to fall forward. Fortunately, she managed to catch him before he fell face first into the mud. Crouching so she would be somewhat as his level, she slowly laid him onto the ground. It was only then that she ran her eyes over his body, noticing the fresh claw marks that had torn his now blood drenched shirt. It was torn to shreds; the baby blue had taken a dark tone of brown, and exposed the gashes of red. She instantly regretted letting him carry her, but another part of her was thankful he did, or else they would still be deep into the woods and he would’ve collapsed there, where she couldn’t see his injuries. Surely someone would come and find them soon. How long had it been? Her eyes set on his face; thankfully the animals had not reached it. His expression was serene, lips drawn into a neutral line, free from their threads. She looked towards the castle, hoping to see one of the boys make their way towards her, but she saw no one. Her eyes traveled quickly between the unconscious man and his property. She couldn’t leave him there alone, not when he was bleeding out like this. She suddenly gasped and quickly shrugged off her jumper and tied it tightly around his chest over the gushing wound. How could she be so distracted to forget first aid? She had studied first aid only months ago, she was preparing to go to medical school, wanting to be a doctor, she knew the basics, and little more. She could treat most wounds, and already knew how to do stitches.  She cursed herself as she ripped off his ripped sleeves, ripping those to long pieces of fabric and wrapped those tightly around the wounds on his arms. Once she had controlled the bleeding the best she could she checked him for any other injuries.

Once again she looked back towards the castle praying to see a silhouette make its way to them in the dark but still no one came. Her eyes went back to the unconscious man’s face only to notice black thread appear, jagged line after jagged line, the sick thread smile appeared again. ‘It’s past dinner time’ she thought, someone was bound to come soon. She shivered as the wind blew strongly and her attention immediately went to Wonho, goose bumps covered his exposed skin. She couldn’t let him get cold, cold and blood loss didn’t mix well…

  * Think, Kyung Mi, think! She told herself.



She couldn’t give him her hoodie, not only it wouldn’t fit, but she would be too cold to keep an eye on him.

  * Think, think think! She repeated trying to find the solution as fast as she could.



It suddenly hit her. She quickly pulled the zipper from her hoodie down, moved him onto his side as gently as she could and lay behind him. She pressed her body firmly against his back, pulling part of her hoodie over his side and draped her arm over him. She snuggled against his back, trying to get as much contact as possible. This was the best way to warm both of them up. She tried not think about how she could feel every single muscle of his back against her chest or how strong his stomach felt under her hand, or how she felt warmth flush through her just by being in contact with him. She didn’t know how long she stayed like this, keeping both herself and him warm but eventually his voice rang in her head.

“ _What…_ ” he tried moving but quickly stilled, the wounds protested against any movement, his healing hadn’t kicked in yet. He then stiffened feeling a body pressed against his back and his eyes quickly went to his wrapped chest and arms. Kyung Mi moved away as soon as she heard him, cold instantly hitting her, she quickly zipped up the hooded jumper.

  * Try not to move to much, your wounds are fresh…



He managed to sit up and lean against a tree. “ _What are we doing here?_ ” he asked seeming breathless, his chest rose and fell quickly.

  * You collapsed as soon as we got here. I tried wrapping your wounds as best I could… I didn’t want to leave you laying here alone, in the cold, I hum, I …



He cut her off before she could gather her thoughts. “ _Thank you_ ” she looked at him and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something more but rushed footsteps caught her attention. And before they realized it, the young man, Jooheon who she had met in the morning was by her side closely followed by Hyungwon. Their eyes immediately went to the wounded blond man.

  * What happened? Jooheon asked you.
  * I… hum I…



She tried answering but the man was intimidating, she remembered his dimple filled smile but everything about his body language at the moment was intimidating to her. He oozed dominance and power. His attention was suddenly turned towards Wonho. “ _She was about to be attacked by wolves_ ” the blond man explained. Both new comers sighed and closed their eyes for a moment, before letting out a frustrated breath. Hyungwon leaned down and helped Wonho up, wrapping an arm around his waist and having him lean onto his shoulder. Jooheon turned to Kyung Mi with concern filled eyes.

  * Are you hurt?
  * No, I’m fine, she answered. We should get in a soon as possible, he’s lost a lot of blood and might need stiches and we really need to disinfect those wounds…



She spoke with a worry filled voice, her eyes never leaving the man walking on front of her. They eventually reached the castle, they were greeted by the others, Changkyun holding a first aid kit she immediately reached for causing everyone’s attention to shift to her, she cleared her throat.

  * I’ve studied extensive first aid, she said shyly taking the big box from the young man.
  * It’s fine I’ll carry it, he said.



None of them added anything and just nodded. They made their way towards an unfamiliar part of the castle, Wonho’s breathing seemed to become easier with each step. No stairs were taken and they finally reached a small room, the walls were a deep shade of green that reminded her of a pin tree. The blond man was set on the bed and the other boys all took a few steps back giving her the space she might need. “ _Leave_ please” His voice rang through their minds, the boys hesitated for a moment before making their way out of the room.

  * There’s a small bathroom through that door, Hyungwoo explained pointing to the only other door. You should find a bowl and cloths under the sink.



She nodded her thanks, feeling a bit uneasy as they left the room leaving Wonho and herself alone. She went back to the side of the bed he was laying on, opened the first aid box that was set on the small night stand and pulled out a pair of scissors and started cutting off her jumper that was now covered in blood, she then cut away what was left of his shirt. She tried as best as she could not to let her eyes linger on each defined muscle that formed his sculpted chest. He easily raised the top half of his body letting her pull away the blood drenched fabrics and her eyes lingered on his contracted stomach, defining his toned abs even more as he held the half sit up position and laying back down once the shreds of clothes fell into the small bin beside the bed. She swallowed hard and went into the bathroom to get hot water and pieces of cloth to clean the wounds. She chastised herself for her lingering gaze, she shouldn’t be staring and the worst part of it was that he had noticed, he had had this smug knowing look in his eyes and she could very well imagine the smirk that would’ve grazed his lips had the black offending strings not been there.

She set to wipe away the dried blood and small specks of dirt from his body, under his watchful gaze. She could barely look at his face, knowing too well that his eyes would still be holding that knowing gaze. She then put on a pair of gloves and reached for the disinfectant pouring some on a fresh piece of gauzed.

  * This might sting a little, she warned.



As soon as she gently pressed the gauze to the open wound Wonho sucked in a breath and once again a growl like sound rumbled in his chest. He started instinctively moving away from the alcohol soaked gauze in her hand causing her to accidentally put too much pressure on one of the claw marks. “ _Ah FUCK! THAT FUCKING HURTS!_ ” he looked at her frowned eyebrows.

  * Well it wouldn’t be so bad if you kept still!



“ _We wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t run away_ ”

  * I wouldn’t have tried to run if you hadn’t told me to leave so aggressively!



“ _YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN IN THE WEST TOWER!!!_ ” his voice rang loudly and harsh in her mind.

  * I don’t know my way around the castle how do you suppose I would know I wasn’t supposed to go there?! This place is huge and I just got here yesterday! Was her harsh response.



He stayed quiet not knowing what to say. His jaw tightened as he still glared at her. She had a point, but that was no excuse to have run when she had said she would stay.

  * Now hold still, it’ll be over soon.



She leaned closer noticing the red gashed didn’t seem as deep as they had been outside, was it because it was dark? No, no, she could’ve sworn that he was bleeding heavily. She quickly reached for the scissors and cut away the pieces of fabric around his arms and examined the wounds. She frowned confused, he fingers gently ran over the healing claw marks that crossed with those already on the left part of his chest. “ _Enjoying yourself?_ ” he asked his voice still tinted with a little anger.

  * Your wounds are better than they were when we were outside… But that’s impossible! It’s been a little over an hour, it…



“ _Ah healing has finally kicked in_ ” he said putting his weight on his elbows to hold himself up a bit and look down at his chest. ‘Great more scares’ he thought to himself as Kyung Mi rumbled in the box apparently looking for something. A small smile spread her lips as she pulled out a small white tube. She then searched some more pulling out a packet of thick cue tips. He watched her expecting her to spill out questions about why or even how his injuries were already a little healed but nothing came out of her mouth. She simply put a bit of cream onto a cue tip and gently spread it onto his wounds, her smile still pulling at the corner of her lips. She then proceeded to clean and disinfect the slashes on his arms and put on some cream onto them too.

  * This should prevent scaring, she said softly once she was done.



She then took a roll of bandage wrapping his arms with it and covering the red claw marks with a large compress. He watched her as she pulled off her gloves and set to clean up the blood-stained pieces of clothing and wet cloth, bringing them into the bathroom and throwing them in the bin before coming back into the room and putting the rest of the stuff into the box.

He had sat up and moved to the edge of the bed watching move around the room, perfectly noticing the way she stole glances from the corner of her eye every now and then. She was almost done with everything and he decided to prevent things from getting to awkward. “ _Thank_ you” his voice sounding softer than ever, soothed her. “ _Are you sure you’re not hurt?_ ” he asked standing up and walking towards her, he had quickly checked her over in the forest but he felt the need to reassure himself. He scanned her body and her eyes looking for any discomfort or pain.

  * I’m okay, she breathed out. Just a little shaken up.



“ _I’ll walk you to your room, you need rest_ ” he told her full of concern as he grabbed a t-shirt from the draw of the nightstand and pulled it over his head. She nodded and they walked out of the room. He half expected to see the boys waiting outside the door but no one was there, not even Minhyuk, as curious as he was Wonho could’ve bet his white-haired friend would’ve been waiting. However, no one was in sight and for that he was thankful, Hyunwoo and Kihyun were probably to thank for this, nevertheless, he was glad that they had been left alone. Kyung Mi followed closely, walking beside him, their arms occasionally brushing against each other’s bringing up a faint blush on both their cheeks. It turned out her room was only a few halls away and soon enough they stopped in front of her bedroom door. They stayed there for a moment, not even looking at each other, just looking anywhere but at the other. Neither knew what had happened, but they each felt a pull towards the other, it was easy for her to forget about his sewn lips and scars, and the horns weren’t even there in her eyes. Sure, he had a temper and they didn’t know each other but she was certain that the man standing in front of her was a good man. Wonho on his side, felt an urge to hold onto her, keeping her close to him at every moment, he could tell she was a good person, but that she wouldn’t let him get away with his attitude and he was fine with that. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her close for a tight hug. Instead he decided to take her hand into his and pressed his threaded lips against her knuckles. She was surprised and couldn’t look away from him as soon as she had felt his hand touch hers. A rush of chills and warmth shot through her whole body and her cheeks opted for a deep red as his hand freed hers and he pulled his lips away wishing her a goodnight and walking back towards where they came from.

She watched him walk away, heart practically beating out of her chest. For a moment, she thought she was going crazy, how could she feel attracted to a man she had met the day before? Not only that, but a man that had shown a scary and angry side of him that could only mean bad news in a regular situation. But she felt safe, she felt that he wouldn’t hurt her, she felt she was already falling for the temperamental blond man. She felt he had a soft side of him and that all his aggressiveness was the result of a lot of pain.


	8. Though night & Good morning

Once Wonho disappeared around the corner Kyung Mi slipped into her bedroom and got ready to sleep, she pulled out her pajamas and took a quick shower before slipping into bed. She quickly fell into deep slumber, the events of the day still fresh in her mind.

Wonho had not even realized but his feet had lead him to the small room they had been in a few moments before instead of his bedroom. He stopped in front of the door for a moment before going into the room. He pulled the t-shirt over his head and pulled of his pants before throwing the now filthy bedspread to the floor and laying under the covers. He crossed his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. He felt to awake to sleep but he wanted to stay close to her, he felt a pull, a need to stay close. He knew nothing could happen yet an irrational part of his mind kept whispering “what ifs”, so her stayed there, quietly looking at the grey ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened in the last two days. He didn’t know how it was possible, but he could tell he was already falling for her. Her smile brightened the place, her laugh he had heard brought a smile to his lips even if it had been Minhyuk who had been responsible for it, he could see she was kind hearted and gentle, but that she wouldn’t let anyone walk all over her. His thoughts wondered back to the previous evening back to when he had held her close to him, feeling warmth fill him up and run through his veins. He wanted nothing more than to have her close again, and just as the thought crossed his mind he heard a scream from her room. He was up and in front of her bedroom door before he could even realize it. He knocked on the wooden door “ _Kyung Mi are you okay?_ ” he asked. He waited for an answer that never come, instead he heard her whimper and her breath catch, he heard the sheets rubbing against each other and her body in a frantic friction, and the bed squeak. It sounded like she was struggling against something or someone. He didn’t think twice before opening the door, letting the halls light pool in a stream that hit her struggling body.

He quickly reached her bed his eyes landing on her sweating forehead, her frowned brows and her lips mouthing “no” over and over. He stood there watching her for a moment unsure of what to do, he scratched the back of his neck. It eventually got too much for him, he decided he did not like seeing her like this, just about as much as he hated seeing her afraid of him. He sat on the edge of the bed and gently grabbed her shoulders. She started trashing even more at his touch, still he held her down. “ _Shhh, it’s fine, it’s just me… Kyung Mi wake up! It’s just a nightmare wake up_ ” he tried soothing her, it took him a few times repeating himself before her eyes fluttered open. He pulled his hands away from her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “ _It’s okay now, you’re safe, it was just a nightmare_ ” he told her his voice soft, low, a ringing whisper in her mind.

And at that moment Kyung Mi didn’t know what got over her but she threw her arms around his neck and snuggled against his bare bandaged chest. He froze suddenly realizing he had not thought about putting on a pair of pants, which he didn’t even have in the room he had been sleeping in. He quickly wrapped his arms around her frame pulling her closer to him. Her body was still shaking from shock as he rubbed circles on her back and ran his hand through her hair, soothing her with hushed words. He quickly took notice of her rising temperature, her body started to feel burning hot against his skin and he pulled away to put his hand to her forehead. He clicked his tongue, she had caught a cold trying to take care of his injuries and waiting in the cold night air barely covered. He gently laid her back and quickly ran to his room pulling on a pair of dark grey sweat pants before running to the other room to grab the first aid kit to finally go back to her room. He set the first aid box by the bed and turned on the light on the nightstand. Her eyes were closed but he knew she was awake, he needed to bring the fever down fast, or she would get worse and he couldn’t think about how that would end.

Wonho went into the bathroom taking a couple of towels before going back to her side and pulling the covers off her body. He tried his best not to let his eyes linger on her barely covered body, all she was wearing was a low-cut tank top and a pair of shorts if you could even call the flimsy piece of fabric short, it barely covered her butt. He swallowed hard, “ _I’m sorry I have to dry the sweat or you’ll only get worse…_ ” he explained not knowing if she was conscious enough to process him speaking. He soon got his answer.

  * Okay, was all that fell from her mouth.



The word was hoarse and her throat sounded dry, he nodded even if she couldn’t see him and continued dabbing the towel along her legs, gently soaking up the sweat from them before moving to her arms, shoulders and neck. Once he was done he pulled the covers over her body once again and went to fill the bowl with cool water to try and bring down her fever with a wet cloth.

He stayed by her side the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep on the edge of the bed. He shot up and looked around the room before realizing he was still by her side. He brought his hand up gently on her forehead only to be surprised by her eyes opening.

  * Fever’s gone down, she started. Thank you, she told him before coughing a little.



And he was on his feet to get a glass of water before she could even register him moving. “ _You’re welcome, you fixed me up, I thought I should keep an eye on you_ ” he smiled at her.

  * You obviously didn’t need fixing up, she told him after downing all of the water.



“ _I think I did this time_ ” he told her. He got up from the bed and headed for the door, he was about to tell her he would bring her breakfast, it was almost time, but she cut him off before he could even speak.

  * Let me check your injuries then, to make sure they healed properly.



He raised an eyebrow towards her, not missing the blush that grazed her cheeks. He smirked and walked back towards the bed where she had sat up. “ _Knock yourself out doc_ ” he joked. And she chuckled, she actually chuckled and this time it was at something he had said, not Minhyuk or Kihyun but him and that made him want to smile widely. He couldn’t physically smile but his heart was beating faster and he was sure his eyes twinkled as she unwrapped the bandage from his arm. She couldn’t hold back the gasp as she saw his arm had healed, completely scare free. She quickly moved to his chest, gently pulled back the compress and once again she gasped. She couldn’t stop her hand from reaching up to his chest, running her fingers where the claw marks had been.

  * This is impossible, she whispered looking up at him.



He raised an eyebrow at her words, as if to ask her if she was being serious. “ _I have horns sprouting out of my head, a smile literally sewn over my lips, I run at inhuman speed, I can hear Minhyuk and Jooheon sparing in the garden and I have more than enough strength to fight off a pack of wolves… The least I could get was healing that went along with all of this_ ” he gestured to his head and face “ _especially the horns_ ”. ‘More than anything it’s to make up for those fucking horns’ he thought to himself. She smiled softly at him, as if reassuring him, her hand still on his chest. He took it into his own and leaned forward to press his threaded lips against her palm making it cover the lower part of his face and when he pulled back the thread had disappeared.

  * Breakfast time, he told her. I’ll be right back, you still have a little fever, it’s best if you stay in bed. I’ll bring you breakfast.



She was about to protest and tell him he didn’t have to but before she knew it he had left the room. She sighed and leaned back against the head board, she hated being sick, most of all she hated staying in bed all day. She groaned in misery kicking childishly at her covers. Why had she tried to run? She didn’t know what had gotten over her, she was here for her father, what would’ve happened if she had managed to leave? Her father would’ve probably taken the fall. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to think that they would harm anyone.

Kyung Mi was pulled out from her thoughts by Wonho knocking on the door and bringing in a tray. He pulled down the frame and set it over her lap.

  * Breakfast is served, he said with an exaggerated curtsey.



She thanked him and he just nodded locking his eyes with hers.

  * What about you? She eventually asked.
  * I’ll eat later.
  * But you probably missed dinner yesterday! And you didn’t even eat lunch!



She didn’t know why she worried, she just did, after all everything was strange here.

  * Go eat! She ushered him away.
  * I don’t want to let you eat alone, he said suddenly getting a little embarrassed.



His hand was on the back of his neck, then it ran through his hair only to scratch his neck again.

  * Then I’ll wait for you, we can eat together, she said smiling.



A goofy smile spread on his lips and he nodded, he rushed out of the room looking like a child on Christmas morning. It brought a smile to her lips, she realized she felt comfortable with him, she had forgotten his anger from the previous days. He had been so gentle and sweet with her she couldn’t help but giggle and blush at herself. She wasn’t one to fall for a guy she had just met, she really wasn’t, it took time for her to develop feelings for someone. Only here and with him it felt like she had known them for years, she felt in her place in the midst of those young men, she felt safe and in her place with Wonho. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the said blond man walking in with a tray of food. He sat at the feet of her bed smiling at her, it was soft and sweet and sent shivers down her spine.

They ate in silence just enjoying each other’s company. When they were done, he took the trays away and told her he’d be back after he had brought the dishes to the kitchen and seen the others. She nodded and took the opportunity to get out of bed, feeling better after eating she set herself in her routine. She made her bed, picked out an outfit and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a shower. She had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door. Instead of the blond man she was expecting she was greeted by an excited Minhyuk accompanied by a smiling Jooheon.

  * Kyung Mi-ah! The first one said, the boss got caught up with work, so you’re spending the day with us! He said excitedly.



By his side Jooheon was already shaking his head at his elder’s apparent hyper mood. He greeted her quietly, smiling a little wider, making his dimples more prominent.

And that is how her stay at the castle started. She spent time with the boys, getting to know them as time went by, she came to know them like family. She missed her father dearly but Wonho reassured her that he was doing perfectly fine and that she had nothing to worry about and she believed him. She had become close to the owner of the property she lived on, out of all of the young men he was the one she felt closest with. Where the others almost seemed like brothers, as time went by and months passed Wonho seemed to be more than a simple friend or someone she considered her brother. She would steal glances at him when they crossed paths in the halls. She would spend dinner by his side, she would spend some days with him walking around and talking or watching movies. Which had surprised her at first, she had found out that the castle had its own home cinema not only that but also a game room which come to think of it wasn’t too surprising in a mansion inhabited by seven young men. She felt herself fall for him, she felt it coming and she welcomed it gladly only she never said anything and on his side Wonho had fallen just as hard as she had.

He would look at her when she wasn’t paying attention, longing to have her be as playful with him as she was with the other, longing to hold her close, wanting nothing more than to tell her about how he felt but he couldn’t. He felt he couldn’t tell her, sure they got along and had spent a lot of time together as months passed but he couldn’t believe she would fall for him. He was blinded by his appearance and how he saw himself that he didn’t notice how she leaned towards him when she sat by his side, how she fought the desire to lay her head on his shoulder as they watched a movie, or the will to grab his hand when they went on their walks. He didn’t realize how her eyes lit up when he came into the room or how she caught her breath every time he’d smile at her over meals. Neither of them were aware of how the other felt and they spent their time in each other’s orbit so close but never close enough to touch. Neither of them noticed but the others did and they were hell bent on getting them to open their eyes to what was right in front of them, time was running out in a couple months it would be winter and it would be too late for Wonho.


	9. Putting it into words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : mention of violence, injury, use of weapon, (language (i think))

It had been almost six months since she had arrived at the castle and Kyung Mi felt like leaving would be the hardest thing she would have to do. She had grown so close to the boys; she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them. They had all been so kind and welcoming, she felt she would be losing a part of herself when she went back home because she was going back home, she missed her father, she had to go back and take care of him, she had to leave this place behind. It had taken time for her and the boys to get to know each other and get to the relationship she had with them now.

Minhyuk had become her closest friend really quickly, he always felt warm and kind when she was around him. He was always smiling and tried to see the best of every situation, despite his chilling eyes she quickly forgot about their cold color and was quick to notice the intense warmth they held. They would spend time together, messing around in the gardens, watching movies or just spend time talking quietly. Minhyuk was always full of energy and despite his age often looked like a child having the time of his life. She found comfort with him when times were hard, he’d always find a way to cheer her up.

Hyungwon was the calm figure that contrasted drastically with the white-haired boy. At first he had been stand offish, quietly accompanying her and Minhyuk on their dynamic walks in the gardens. He was a man of few words it had seemed, but Kyung Mi was always taken aback by the warmth his gaze held, unlike Minhyuk his eyes were of one of the warm colors of the earth, a deep green she often found herself losing herself into. They held kindness and softness even when they grew hard with judgment while he watched her and his active friend interact. Where Minhyuk brought out her childish side she had thought she lost, Hyungwon brought out a maturity she ignored she had. They spent long afternoons talking about everything and nothing, history, philosophy, religion, the weather, their discussions always contrasted with the previous yet they never ran out of conversation.

Her relationship with Kihyun was one that could be compared to a relationship siblings would have. He had been kind and thoughtful at first, letting her settle herself and get a grip of her new surroundings until she was comfortable. But as time passed he got more and more comfortable with her, and her with him. They’d argue and playfully insult each other or banter and laugh together. Other times they would be found side by side each reading a book quietly enjoying the other’s company. They’d be more agitated over dinner, throwing comeback after comeback, each sassier than the previous only to end up laughing until they couldn’t breathe by the end of dinner. They really did seem like brother and sister.

Hyunwoo, or Secretary Son as she had called him for a month until she finally learned his name became the one she turned to for advice and for an attentive ear when communication was strained. He would listen to her and reassure her. He would sit with her and try and find a solution with her for whatever situation came up. Not only that but he was comfortable to be around. Their interaction had been a little awkward at first, him not being used to having a young woman in the castle and her not being used to having so many men around her. He became her confident, she felt she could trust him with her life and it felt as natural as it was.

As for the two younger inhabitants, Jooheon and Changkyun were the one with whom she had a lighter relationship. She was close to the both of them and they often spent time together since the two young men seemed to be inseparable. With them she spent her time talking about music and listening to it too. They opened a new door to music, and through them she discovered so much she ignored before. They spent long hours in the music room, sprawled on bean bags and they would fall asleep there only to be woken up by one of the others a few hours later when dinner was over and the night was deep.

 

Finally, there was Wonho with whom she had spent the most time. After the two times, he had gotten angry she never saw that side of him. She discovered a man she couldn’t help but admire and fall for behind all those walls he had built up. These walls came crashing down, one by one, with the time they spent together, and with each moment spent with him she discovered something that blew her away. She fell for him, slowly with time, without realizing it, she fell, and she didn’t feel the rush of wind behind her back pushing her faster and faster towards him. They would spend days together, talking, walking around the property. He showed her around every crook and cranny there was in the castle. The old secret passage ways that linked rooms, others that lead behind the building and deep into the gardens, others that had been closed off sometime in the past. They would spend a lot of time in the library. He had decided to show her the large room filled with shelves of books that covered each and every wall and wen up to the ceiling. She had been blown away by the beauty of the room and it took her a moment to take it all in, a smile spreading her lips widely. She loved reading, she loved writing and being faced with a library is beautiful had her speechless. She didn’t notice Wonho looking at her while she turned on her spot right in the middle of the room with her head thrown back to look at all the books that surrounded her. He had felt his heart beat faster and faster and grow as if it would burst out of his chest. He couldn’t get over her beauty and how happy she looked, her smile brought a glow that chase away the grey veil that had enveloped the castle.

When they weren’t in the library reading, well often she would read oblivious to Wonho simply looking at her. Other times he would be the one with his nose buried in a book and she would be the one stealing glances, her heart speeding at the sight of his engrossed in the story he was reading. When they weren’t reading, they would walk around the gardens, talking softly, enjoying each other’s company, their arms and hands occasionally grazing the other’s but neither of them did anything. In these times, a blush would graze their cheeks and they would look away, telling themselves that it was nothing and that the other didn’t feel the same way. Or they would spend some time in Wonho’s office, she helped him out with what she could and he was glad to have her beside him. Sometimes she would absentmindedly sit on the edge of his desk, feet kinking like those of a happy child as she watched him work, his eyes frowned over a pile of paper work she wished she could help with.

She had fallen for him and his smiles and his softness and his kindness and so many things that made him the way he was. It had been almost six months and gone was the angry man she had met the first evening. In his place stood, a kindhearted, soft-spoken man, he was beautiful in every meaning of the word and he had made her world crash down and had rebuild back up with his laughs and smiles, built it back up with soft gazes and kind words and vulnerability.

She fell for him and he fell for her but neither knew about it, they flirted and giggled and still they were oblivious to the other, blinded by the thought that they didn’t deserve the other, blinded by insecurities about this or that. Blinded while the others watched helpless as they orbited around the other, pulling closer then pushing away. And they couldn’t do a thing, they advised both of them but couldn’t do anything more, Wonho and Kyung Mi had to realize for themselves.

So, there they were the eight of them, so close to the end of their set time together watching a movie bundled up in blankets and hot chocolate in hand. It was a cold winter afternoon and they decided it was a good day for a movie marathon. They had done many before, finding it was good excuse for them to spend so time together just relaxing and not really worrying about the approaching deadline, which Kyung Mi still ignored. They were all in the home cinema, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyunhwon and Changkyun seated on the sofa and the rest of them on the floor leaning against the piece of furniture. The boys had made it so that Wonho and Kyung Mi were seated on the floor side by side with Hyunwoo next to her and Jooheon next to the blond man. The others watched as they obliviously leaned against each other’s shoulders, shaking their heads sadly at the sight of the two still not noticing anything. At some point during the movie marathon, Kyung Mi started feeling her eyelids get heavier and heavier and she eventually fell asleep her head dropping onto Wonho’s shoulder. The young man tensed up looking down at her sleeping form leaning on his, he was afraid to move a muscle in case he woke her. He looked down once again and noticed the blanket she had wrapped around her had fallen off her and she was shivering and snuggling closer to his warm body. He swallowed hard, gulping as he tried moving as little as possible as he pulled the blanket over her shoulders and tucked her in. He then scooted down a little so her neck wouldn’t be strained and shifted his attention back the screen, barely watching the film as he savored every inch of her body that touched his. Wonho was completely absorbed by her that he didn’t notice the looks his friends exchanged as they watched the two of them. Maybe they would open their eyes.

Jooheon got up and changed the film when the previous one was over and as it started Kyung Mi was torn from her nap by the sound of a loud bell ringing. They all jumped at the sudden noise that notified them that someone was at the door. She had jumped away from Wonho, who whimpered, immediately missing his comforting closeness. They all exchanged looks wondering who it could be, no one ever came, the last time the door bell had rung, Wonho recalled was almost 5 years ago and it had meant bad news for him. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car, afraid of who might be behind the heavy wooden doors he couldn’t move. They were all on their feet and he was still on the ground. Then a hand came into view, he looked up at Kyung Mi who was offering to help him up. He didn’t need it; he could get up fine alone but he slipped his hand in hers relishing its warmth and softness and the strength it gave him. Okay, maybe he needed it. As soon as he was up though them both let go embarrassed and shy. They all hurried down and Hyunwoo opened the door on a young man who’s eyes landed on Kyung Mi. Not even bothering to wait to be invited in, or to even hear Hyunwoo asking him if he could help him, he pushed past the six boys and pulled her away from Wonho into a tight hug glaring disgusted at the blond man before burying his face in her neck.

  * Oh, I finally found you and you’re safe! Thank god you aren’t hurt, the man mumbled.



Kyung Mi was taken by surprise; she froze as the boy’s arms wrapped around her and tensed as he held her tightly against his body. Shocked she didn’t dare to move and stood still, arms limp to her sides as the man’s arms held her waist tightly. It felt wrong to her suddenly, she felt uncomfortable in the familiar arms. She wiggled and pushed him away, just before Wonho lost it. He couldn’t stand the sight of another man touching her without her permission. Without even realizing it, he gently took her wrist and pulled her behind him as she finally greeted the new comer.

  * What are you doing here, Jihoon? She asked letting herself be pulled back by the blond man.



Jihoon glared and sneered in disgust at Wonho, who was now shielding half of her, his hand still loosely wrapped around her wrist.

  * I’m here to get you out of this mess, I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner it took longer than expected to find you, he answered. Those fucking idiots calling themselves private detectives, costing a fortune took too long, he ranted.



Kyung Mi didn’t know what to say, she stood frozen at the sight of her friend, thankfully for her Jooheon stepped in, his ‘don’t fuck with me’ persona turned on at the maximum. It sent shivers down her spine, she never had gotten over how quick and drastically he boy could change his demeanor. Wonho slid his hand down from her wrist to cover hers in a comforting gesture and for the first time maybe she realized that maybe there was something more as his thumb rubbed circles on her palm as Jooheon stepped in front of the new comer.

  * She is here of her own free will, therefor, there is no need for you to get her out of anything, the younger man stated.



She stepped closer to Wonho, almost pressing herself to his back as she could see the anger build up, his eyes were shinning bright red, redder than she had ever seen them. She brought her hand up to his spine and began drawing patterns as she watched the interaction.

  * Her own free will my ass! From what I get she is paying for her father’s mistake! And I’m here to pay whatever it is they own and get her back home where she belongs! By my side that is! He said the last part pointedly looking at the seething blond man.
  * Excuse me?!



This time it was Kyung Mi that spoke making her way around Wonho making him let go of her hand as she walked towards Jihoon.

  * I belong by my father’s side! Do. NOT! Start that shit again Jihoon! We’re friends nothing more! There is nothing going on between us, you need to get over that delusion!
  * You love me KYUNG MI! the boy shouted losing his cool.
  * I will never love you, she said quietly.
  * And what you’re going to stay here?! With those… those FREAKS?! Come one love, you know you don’t like them, you only did whatever you needed to stay safe, right?
  * They are not freaks! And I happen to enjoy being here, I enjoy their company, all they’ve done is treat me with the upmost respect! Like family!



Jihoon squinted his eyes at the young woman observing her and pulling away.

  * Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for one of them! He said.



She swallowed hard looking away.

  * You have! Haven’t you! How could you do this to me?! To us?!
  * There never was an us!
  * Which one is it?! Which one of those freaks has brainwashed you?
  * Jihoon you’re starting to sound delusional! She tried to reason with him.



But the man that had been her friend for years had completely lost it.

  * Is I him? He said pointing at Hyunwoo. Or him? He said gesturing to Kihyun.



None of them spoke, all of the men were on edge ready to pounce the moment the unwelcomed visitor became violent.

  * Perhaps, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for scar face with horns over here he said pointing to Wonho.



The blond man’s complexion had turned pale, the black thread standing out against his skin, his scars looking angry had taken a pink color as if they were recent and his eyes were of a red that seemed to be out of this world. The color swirled and twisted like pools of red in his eyes. That is when Kyung Mi spoke up surprising everyone.

  * And what if I did? He’s ten thousand times the man you will ever be!



As soon as the words left her mouth Wonho’s head snapped towards her. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? It seemed like it, but why was there no change? He was pulled out of his questioning when he saw Jihoon move for her and before the man could get to her Wonho had him by the neck and up against a wall.

“ _Do not touch her_ ” Wonho’s voice rang threateningly in the man’s mind taking him by surprise and making him think he was going crazy. “ _Do I make myself clear, keep your hands off her!_ ” he said before letting him. He then turned his back to the man and made his way to Kyung Mi to make sure she was okay. He had taken three steps when she warned him but he reacted too late and the man grabbed Wonho by the shoulder making him turn around and punching him in the face causing him to fall to the ground and making her gasp.

  * This is Stockholm syndrome, I’ll take care of you once all this is over, Jihoon continued in his delusion.



The blond man quickly got up from the ground, wiping of blood from his split lip and focusing his gaze on the individual that had hit him.

  * Why aren’t you guys helping him? Kyung Mi almost shouted at the others.
  * We can’t interfere, he has to handle it on his own, Hyungwon explained quietly pulling her closer to them so she wouldn’t be in the way.
  * He can handle himself, don’t worry, Kihyun reassured her.
  * After all he did fight off a pack of wolves on your second night here, Minhyuk added.



She had almost forgotten about that day, she remembered tending to his wounds after the others had found them by the tree line, she remembered the fever after that and Wonho taking care of her after that. She nodded at her friends and turned her attention back to the two other men. Wonho was dodging most of Jihoon’s attempts at hitting him but the black-haired man managed to get a few kicks in while the blond was looking back to check on her, wanting to make sure she was still there. Eventually and soon enough, Wonho got the upper and was about to throw him out when Jihoon pulled out a knife and slashed his side before planting he knife hilt deep into his right side quickly pulling it out. The others quickly mover Kyung Mi behind them encircling to protect her from what was sure to come. Fortunately, Wonho managed to disarm him and kick him out the open door which was quickly closed by Minhyuk.

They all let out a breath and just as they looked over at the blond man he fell against the wall, his hand over a heavily bleeding wound. Kyung Mi was by his side in an instant. Jooheon had ran to get the first aid kit and while she pressed her hands to the wound.

“ _Bring me to the west tower, will you hyung?_ ” his voice rang in the elder and her mind, the young man looked at his friend in surprise, it was the first time the man had called him that and it took a few seconds before he spoke.

  * Maybe it’s best to wait here, was the elder’s answer.



“ _Please, I want her to see the flower_ ” he asked. Hyunwoo hesitated before gathering Wonho in his arms and telling Kyung Mi to follow. The others were in step behind only to be stopped by the injured man asking for some privacy with her. Hyunwoo moved as fast as he could.

  * What about the first aid kit? Kyung Mi asked as they climbed the stairs to the room she had only seen once.



“ _I won’t need it_ ” he reassured her.

  * But the wound is deep and more serious this time! Last time it took hours before it started healing and those were scratches compared to this! She worried.



“ _I’ll be fine._ ”

They finally reached the top, Hyunwoo set Wonho on the desk and left them alone. Wonho’s eyes shifted to the wilting rose against the stone wall. It was already too late, it looked like it would fall any minute. He thought he would’ve had at least two more weeks but time had passed faster than he had thought and by tomorrow he was cursed to stay the way he was for the rest of his days.

Kyung Mi was desperately trying to contain the bleeding, but still the red liquid slipped through her fingers as she begged him to call for someone with the first aid kit but he refused. He felt his consciousness slip through his grasp as he told her he only wanted to look at her face. And then his head went limp and fell to the side, his eyes were closed and she couldn’t wake him up. She felt the whole world crash around her, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing him and this was exactly what that was, he was slowly losing his blood. He looked even paler now and his lips were turning to purple, the warmth seemed to leave his body and just like that, when he had been warm moments ago he felt cold under her hands. She threw herself over his body, tears running down her face, sobs getting caught in her throat and hitching her breath.

  * You idiot, she sobbed out. You can’t just leave me like this! You can’t leave me alone! Come on be a man! Wake up! Fight this! Don’t be a coward and leave before saying goodbye!



She screamed in pain as she felt her heart break, she screamed in sorrow and the others came rushing at the sound of her agony. They stopped in front of the door, watching her sob over Wonho’s cooling body her hands still pressed against to wound.

  * You can’t leave! She whispered. I didn’t even get the chance to tell you how much I love you, she choked out looking at his face before pressing her forehead against his.



Her tears fell onto his face, rolled down his cheeks like they were his. She fell to her knees finally letting go of him and cried into her bloodstained hands. She didn’t hear the others gasp over her loud sobs but they did. They stood motionless as they watched the body of their friend start to shine, at first from his wound, then the bright silver light crept up his chest over the claw marks, continuing down his legs and finally his whole body was a shape of silver shinning so brightly it caught her attention. She stumbled back in shock as she saw the light on the desk. She looked around and saw green coat the stone walls, vines of roses growing and covering every inch of the grey wall. When she shifted her attention back to the desk where the light slowly died down to reveal a mark free Wonho. She froze, speechless at the sight of him, his hair was of a deep black, his face had retrieved all its color, it even seemed he had a slight tan and gone were the scars along the left side of his face, gone were the angry crisscrossed threads over his plumped lips and especially, to him at least, gone were the horns. He was still in his bloody clothes but it seemed he was healed and he eyes fluttered open revealing deep brown orbs. His eyes locked on hers she felt he was looking at her for the first time, he felt she was looking at him for the first time. She could get lost in the depths of brown of his eyes and she did because she didn’t even realize he moved to slip off the desk and stand in front of her without tearing his eyes from hers.

He reached a hand up and cupped her cheek while the other took her hand and laced their fingers. She felt a blush warm her cheeks and he smiled widely, he smiled like it was the first time he had in years, which was kind of the case even if he had often smiled over meals, this was different. This smile was spontaneous and free and the first one he felt in years. His eyes sparkled and she smiled back at him feeling she was looking at the most beautiful sun rise. Then and there she realized that nothing could be more beautiful than his smile, no flower, no sceneries or lakes in the moonlight, not the moon or the sun, not the blue summer skies and cherry blossom flowers, not even the star filled skies she had seen through the window of her room.

  * Thank you, he finally told her tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
  * For what? she asked softly.
  * For seeing me, he told her.



With those words, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

  * I love you too, he told her.



And he kissed her again, a little harder this time pulling her close, neither of them minding the blood that covered them. He pulled her close, as close as he could have her, they had longed for this moment for months and there it was finally. They were brought out of their bubble by clapping and whooping. They laughed as they pulled away from each other and looked at their friends by the door. They had all changed too, gone was the eerie and mysterious aura that had surrounded them for the last almost five years. They all seemed more human, their eyes back to their natural color, still nothing much had changed apart from that. They exchanged a look before walking to them and hugging each other.

Later while they were all having dinner, Wonho turned to her, locking themselves in a bubble closing off the usual dinner banter and activity. He took her hand in his and locked eyes with her.

  * How about we find a place in town? He asked her.



She looked back at him confused.

  * We could find a place close to your fathers… He trailed on.



She still looked at him, surprise painting her features now, she didn’t want to believe what he was asking her.

  * What do you say? Do you want to move in with me? He asked her.



She smiled wide at his nervous waiting expression and squeaked out a quick ‘yes’ before pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss.

  * Oh, for gods’ sake get a room, Kihyun let out from the other side of the table.



The chuckled as they pulled away, she got up from her chair and held out a hand to him catching him by surprise.

  * What do you say? Let’s go somewhere we won’t bother them.



He blinked at her, was she serious? He couldn’t read her. He didn’t want to get any ideas but she took his hand and pulled him up.

  * More like somewhere we won’t bother you, said Minhyuk.



The white-haired man’s word made Wonho gulp as he stood up, downing his glass of water before letting himself be dragged out of the room.

  * I’m not going to bite you, she joked. Come, let’s go watch a movie, we didn’t get to finish watching the other one earlier.



He sighed in relief, he wasn’t quite ready for that step yet. Not that he didn’t want to but it felt too soon, a movie would be good. So, they locked themselves in the home cinema, snuggled close together and threw blanket over their bodies as they watched the movie. She looked up to him from her place in his arms and he looked down at her and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her softly capturing her lips between his, gently grazing them, caressing, brushing, it was sweet and soft and just what they needed.


	10. Chapter 10 : Two years of happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the pre-final chapter, I hope you enjoy reading! 
> 
> Warning : This chapter contains smut, consented sexual relation explicitly described

Kyung Mi was in the kitchen preparing dinner, she already had everything ready, the side dishes were all prepared along with everything she needed to make ramyun the only trouble was that he had put the pot away on the very top shelf and she couldn’t reach it. She was struggling to get on the counter to reach them like she usually would but there were side dishes and ingredients everywhere that she couldn’t manage to get up on it. She planted her feet on the floor, crossed her arms across her chest and huffed frustrated as she glared at the top shelf. Why he had to put the pots all the way up there she would never know, it wasn’t the first time that it had happened in the two years they had been living together.

When they looked for a place to live she had made it clear she wanted a kitchen where she could reach the top shelves without needing to become an acrobat. The many times she had prepared dinner at Mx manor had been troubling enough to make it a must in her flat yet here she was again, cursing herself for refusing to have one of the step-up stools. The flat had been so beautiful and close enough to her father’s place that she made the small sacrifice. She sighed again and turned around ready to get a chair from the dining room only to hear a voice call out for her.

  * Baaaabe?! Her boyfriend called from the hall.
  * In the kitchen, she called back.



Not long after he came in through the door his hand behind his head and brows furrowed in frustration.

  * Give me a hand please? He asked sounding done with everything.



She looked at him confused before realizing he had somehow got his hair caught in his watch’s wrist band. She sighed chuckling at the man in front of her who was starting to pout in annoyance. She went up to him and kissed him on the cheek softening his features and making him smile a little. She then sat him down on one of the fold up chairs they had in the kitchen so she could have a better view of what was happening.

  * How did this happen? She asked as she started tugging at small strands of hair.
  * I’d rather not say…



She chuckled at his answer and didn’t pry any further. It took her a good ten minutes to pull away all his hair from the metal bracelet of his watch. He finally could let his hand down, he sighed in relief and stretched his arm a little to get rid of the cramps. He then pulled Kyung Mi onto his lap and gently pressed his lips to hers.

  * Smells nice, what are you making? He asked nuzzling her neck.



He loved it when she wore her hair up like this, a simple messy bun, giving him full access to her slender neck. And how he loved her neck.

  * Well… I was going to make ramyun but you put the pot on the top shelf so I might just cook some rice to go along with the side dishes.



She had barely finished her sentence that she was on her feet and lifted in the air in seconds. He had her sitting on his shoulder one arm wrapped around her thighs the other her ankles making sure she didn’t fall. He slowly walked to the open cupboard smiling to himself. She could now reach everything. After she took what she needed he set her on her feet.

  * What would I do without you, she told him smiling up at him.



He only smiled back kissing her gently and pulling away before he got carried away.

  * Do you need any help? He offered.
  * No, everything should be ready soon. You can set the table though, she told him gesturing to the side dishes and bowls.



Once dinner was ready and set they took a seat at their small dining table and they dug in.

Life had pretty much been uneventful since she had left the manor two years ago, it had been peaceful and quiet. Her father had been ecstatic to see her come home safe and sound. She didn’t tell him much only that they didn’t hurt her and had treated her well. He was so happy to have her back he was already making place to redo her bedroom and that is when she told him she wouldn’t be moving back in. She explained that after what had happened she needed some time to herself. She hated lying to her father but she knew that if she told him she would be moving in with the man that was responsible for her being away from home for so long he would have a fit. And she would understand, but she couldn’t risk it, so she lied. Six months after she moved out she told him about Wonho, she told him she had met him at work and that they had been going out for a few months. She didn’t tell him much, she didn’t tell anyone much at that time, even if she was dying to tell everyone what a wonderful man he was and how much she loved him she decided it was best to wait for a while. So, six months later she told her father they had moved in together, she told him that things were pretty serious. Her father had been eager to meet the man that made his daughter so happy. When they finally met a few weeks after that he was happy to find a well behaved and well educated young man that couldn’t take his eyes off his daughter. He could see the love that radiated between the two of them.

From then on they made it a thing to have dinner with her father at least once a week, now a year later they were still seeing her father for dinner and that is how, a week ago, Wonho found himself at the older man’s front door earlier than usual. Kyung Mi was at work and would come later. Hyunsoo was surprised to see the young man on his door step so early, they usually came together. Wonho seemed nervous, he was chewing on his lower lip and scratching the back of his neck. Hyunsoo invited him in, they got along well but they never really had moments where it was just the two of them. So, this was a little awkward as they sat facing each other in the living room.

  * You seem like you have something to say, the older man said softly seeing how uncomfortable his daughter’s boyfriend was.



Wonho swallowed hard and took in a deep breath, he plunged his hand in his pocket pulling out a small black velvet box that immediately caught Hyunsoo’s attention.

  * Sir, I love your daughter so much, these past years by her side have made me the luckiest man in the world. She makes everything better; she brings light into my life. And I don’t think I can live without her by my side. I would be the happiest man if you gave me your blessing to ask her to be my wife. I promise to treat her the way she deserves to be treated like, to love her and protect her with all my heart. I promise to make her happy.



Hyunsoo smiled at the young man that was now wringing nervously wringing his fingers together. He couldn’t have wished for a better son in law, it was clear he loved Kyung Mi with everything he had and that he would give her everything she would ever need. He chuckled at Wonho’s worried expression and pulled him into a hug, which made the young man tense, it had been years since someone older hugged him. His blessing meant so much to him, he still felt bad for lying to the man about how he had met Kyung Mi but both of them knew it was best if her father stayed in the dark. He had grown close to the man, his parents not being in his life since the “incident”, Hyunsoo had become someone important in his life, despite their awkward relationship, he saw him as a father figure. Kyung Mi had arrived not long after the exchange, she walked in kissing them both on the cheek and taking a seat beside her boyfriend. That evening they prepared dinner together.

 

Wonho was lying awake in bed Kyung Mi tucked into his naked chest sleeping soundly with her head resting above his heart. It had been hours since they had gone to sleep, the day had been exhausting for the both of them yet there he was, staring blankly at the ceiling. It had been almost a month since her father had given his blessing and the ring was still hidden in one of his suits pockets. He had no idea how to pop the question, worse, he was terrified she’d turn him down. He was terrible at planning big romantic gestures, he was bad at them, he preferred making the moments spontaneous. He liked coming home with a bouquet of roses for no reason other than he had walked past the florist (again) and the roses reminded him of her and why they met and that she was now by his side in some way because of a rose. Or he’d come home with a box of chocolates because he wanted to make her smile, and many times it had turned out she had been craving exactly that. He told her he loved her at random moments, while they were cutting up vegetables for dinner, while she was showering and he was on the toilet, after sex, during sex, before sex, while she slept, when he came home, when he left, he just blurted it out of nowhere making her smile at him. He took her hand in his when they walked around the park or down the streets, he’d let her order for him or he’d order for her at restaurants never looking at the waitress, his eyes glued to her. There was romance in every moment they spent together, there was romance in his words, in his eyes, in his touch. He didn’t like making a big show out if things, he liked the small subtle touches and looks they exchanged telling the other that they were there. Yet he wanted to make his proposal special, for her, because every girl wants their proposal to be special. He eventually fell asleep for exhaustion, only to wake up the next morning to her side of the bed being cold and the smell of coffee in the air. He smiled to himself, pushing himself up and pulling on a pair of red sweatpants and made his way to the kitchen. He froze when he walked in on Kyung Mi standing on the tip of her toes to reach the cups in one of the cupboards, the white button up shirt he had worn the day before rising exposing her black booty shorts. Seeing her in his clothes made him happy, it was like showing the world she was his, only no one but him was allowed to see her dress like this. No, this sight was for him and him alone. He quietly made his way behind her reaching up he took down two cups making her try to turn around to kiss him only to find his chest pressed against her back, his hands resting on her hips pulling her closer to him letting her feel his erection growing against her butt.

He kissed her neck gently making his way up to her cheek before turning her around and kissing her lips.

  * Good morning, she said when he pulled away.



He hummed in response.

  * What a good morning indeed.



His hands were still on her waist, she let herself be pulled flush against him only to be kissed once again. His lips capturing hers gently in a soft kiss. He started to pull her with him as he walked backwards but she pulled away and turned to the stove. He pouted and wrapped his arms around her waist while kissing her neck trying to gain her attention as he gently pressed himself against her. She chuckled at him as she focused on not letting breakfast burn but he was making it hard, his hands had traveled lower to her thighs and he was dragging his fingers upwards, his fingertips barely touching her skin. They kept going further up, sliding to the inside of her thighs making her shiver with pleasure when his fingers reached her heated center. He dragged a finger over her covered folds causing her to close her eyes and her head to drop back onto his shoulder. She forced her eyes to open and held her head back up, turned the stove off and let herself fall against his chest as he pulled her booty shorts aside so he could slide his fingers between her wet folds and rub circles on her clit. Her legs shook under her, his touch sending fire through her veins. He caught her before she fell and carried her like a princess into the bedroom and laid her on their bed before pulling down her underwear and tossing it aside. He wasted no time and before she could even prepare herself he dragged his tongue against her heat. She buried her hands into his hair, tangling her fingers with his black strands trying to get him closer as he lapped at her juices. He looked up at her watching her arch her back as he held her hips down. He pulled away just enough to breathe over her causing Kyung Mi to whimper and look down only to have him lock eyes with her. She couldn’t look away as his tongue peaked from between his lips and he dragged it between her folds and flicked it against her clit. She let out a moan as he repeated his action this time lingering in her bundle of nerves, capturing it between his lips and sucking gently. His ministrations combined with the look he was giving her was too much for her she let out a slur of moans and incoherent words throwing her head back and tightening her hold on his hair pushing him closer. His thumbs were rubbing circles on her hip bone, he dragged his tongue down and pushed it into her moaning against her it was too much information for her brain to register, she was reduced to a moaning mess as his tongue fucked her, one of his hands leaving her hip to rub circles against her clit and that was it her hands left his hair to fist the bedsheets as she came against his mouth. He pulled his sweatpants off and threw them somewhere behind him before locking lips with her. She came down of her high as she tasted herself on his tongue. She moaned against his mouth kicking her hips up to flip them so she would be straddling his lap, her pussy grazing his hard cock making him moan into her mouth. She pulled away from the heated kiss both of them panting, breathes heavy, chest heaving. She went to crawl down his body but he stopped her holding her waist as he sat himself against the headboard and pulled her close to him.

  * I need to be inside you, he whispered into her ear.



She smiled at him locking her lips onto his neck finding that sensitive spot as she lowered herself onto his dick. Both of them let out a moan at the feeling. Her hands pulled away from his chest to pull off his shirt but he stopped her once again, instead he unbuttoned the first two buttons revealing her cleavage.

  * You’re so beautiful, like this, he moaned out as she rolled her hips against his.



He bucked his up in response, hitting her spot dragging a cry from her lips. She threw her head back arching herself as she rolled her hips against his. His hands reached behind her back and pulled her close to him as he dropped his head down to drag his tongue between her breasts up to her collar bone. He grazed his teeth against it nibbling his way up to the crook of her neck and her soft spot there. No words left their mouths, all that could be heard was their heavy breathing, skin against skin and the moans and groans pooling from their mouths. She lifted her hips and dropped back onto him moaning loudly as he bucked his hips hitting her sweet spot over and over again. He picked up the pace to match hers, their moves becoming erratic, unpatterned, she moved herself faster on him letting out small little noises as he groaned in pleasure when he felt her tighten around his dick. He reached between their bodies when she dropped her head in the crook of his neck, her hands grabbing onto his shoulders. He rubbed circles on her clit sending her over the edge, her walls tightening with more force around him making him cum with her. He slid down the bed so they would be laying down, she was still moving her hips against his as she came down from herself pulling herself off of him only to tangle her legs with his and rest her head on his chest.

The room was quiet as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled the sheets over their hips. Their breathing slowly took on a normal rhythm and the room fell into peaceful silence. They sweaty bodies were tangled with each other in their sheets. She was running her fingers over his chest, tracing each muscle, drew circles, dragging her fingertips to make swirls barely grazing his skin as he ran his hand through her hair relishing the feel of her body tightly pressed against his. 

  * Marry me…



It came out of nowhere, he had blurted it out, it wasn’t a question, it wasn’t really a request or an order, just a statement. He had not been think about anything but the feel of her and how much he loved her. The words had just dropped from his mouth stilling her hand, as she laid it flat against his chest. She said nothing and her body started to shake against his making him look down at her giggling. He raised himself on his elbows and she did the same looking at him with humor sparkling in her eyes. He had been smiling softly at her, but seeing her laugh lightly made his smile drop from his lips.

  * You’re so random at times, honey, she chuckled.
  * I’m being serious, he whispered out slightly hurt by her reaction.



Those words made her stop laughing and look at him with serious eyes, she didn’t know if he was really being serious or if was one of his moments, she didn’t know how to react to his words. He saw the worry in her eyes, her questioning, he got up from the bed and went to their closet to dig into one of his suits pockets pulling out the small black box. He walked back to the bed, where she was watching him, her features painting worry, almost panic. Still naked he dropped to one knee at the edge of the bed opening the box and presenting her with a ring. Her eyes got teary as he spoke.

  * Marry me Go Kyung Mi, he said. I love you so much and I wanted to make this special and I wanted to make this big speech on how I love you and how my life would not be the same if you hadn’t taken your father’s place. I wanted to prepare this big thing to tell you how much you mean to me, to tell you that I can’t imagine my life without you, I can’t imagine the person I would be if you hadn’t come into our lives when you did. Waking up by your side, coming home to you and falling asleep with you in my arms, I couldn’t live without every single moment we share. You make my life better, you made me better and still every day I am better with you by my side. So, Go Kyung Mi, will you be my wife?



Tears fell from her eyes as he spoke, she couldn’t speak from the emotions running through her, she simply nodded. His face broke into a smile his eyes sparkling, shining brighter than they ever had, he got up and leaned towards her to press his lips to hers kissing her with a passion. Quickly pulling away to slid the ring on her finger. She looked at the ring and her heart skipped a beat as she saw it on her finger. The ring was shaped like vines wrapping around her finger, small thorns engraved into the band but what caught her eye was the small stones placed onto the band to shape a rose. The ring was white gold, sophisticated and delicate. She looked up at him taking his face into her hands and capturing his lips between hers in a tender kiss, their lips brushing against each other softly, he pulled her closer to him, his hands burring in the lengths of her hair, gently pulling her even closer. Their lips danced together, gently capturing, grazing, brushing in a passionate kiss. When they pulled away both out of breath, their faces breaking into smiles.

  * I love you, she whispered.
  * I love you too, he whispered back.



They stayed there for a moment looking at each other, forehead to forehead until a small smirk pulled at Wonho’s lips, he reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt before sliding it down her arms.

  * You were wearing too much clothes, it wasn’t fair.



She chuckled as she let herself be laid back, his body soon hovering over hers as he pulled the sheets over their heads.

 

 

 


	11. Epilogue (2.0)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Early mornings,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okayyy sooooo I know the last chapter said it was the end but omg I had this idea and i really needed to write it out and it's short soo here is the final chapter.

It was well over 2 am when Kyung Mi finally closed her laptop after finishing up the last details of the product presentation due Tuesday. Her boss had asked her to finish it up before the week end so they could make the last changes on Monday if it was necessary. She rubbed her face sighing at the thought of finally going to sleep and quietly made her way into their bedroom closing the door as gently as possible to prevent it from squealing. She undressed and pulled one of Wonho’s old t-shirts over her head and got into bed carefully trying not to wake him up.

He hadn’t wanted her to work, his position at the company was enough for them to live more than comfortably but she couldn’t stand the idea of staying at home doing nothing. She had decided to take up an entry level job, giving up on becoming a nurse due to the fact that she had missed too many classes to pass the year when she had left for the mansion. She had slowly made her way up and was now at a comfortable position allowing her to do a big part of work from home.

Kyung Mi sighed pulling the covers over herself and finally laying her head on her pillow. Just as she settled in Wonho shifted in his sleep and draped an arm over her waist and pulled her into his muscular chest molding her back into it. She smiled and finally let sleep take over.

A few hours later, too soon to Kyung Mi’s taste the alarm clock started ringing. Both of them groaned in annoyance. Wonho rolled over towards the nightstand on his side of the bed and turned it off before shoving his face back into his pillow cursing himself internally for forgetting to turn it off on their day off. He reached for her only to feel her moving out of bed, automatic movements of habit. He pulled her back towards him looking up at her through half opened eyes, his hair a mess of strands of black hair sticking in every direction and falling into his eyes. Pouting through sleep filled eyes he mumbled “Day off”. And with that he wrapped an arm over her waist sliding the other under her pillow he pulled himself closer to her and buried his face into the crook of her neck, threw his leg over her hip and tucked his foot and ankle between her knees and thighs tangling their bodies.

There was nowhere in the world Kyung Mi felt better than right there in her husband’s arms. She felt warm and safe, like nothing could happen to her. She couldn’t help but smiled as she felt his pout against her skin. His large muscular frame looked so soft and vulnerable in moments like these, no traces of the man he had been during her first days at the manor, he had been menacing at the time, intimidating. In the last six years, he had gotten broader his chest stronger, his arms and legs larger and still she couldn’t see anything of the man he had once been.

She sighed and threw her free arm around his waist and slipped her leg between his tangling their bodies further. To anyone else but them this would have been uncomfortable but they fell asleep moments later, limbs tangled, breaths intertwined, bodies so close you couldn’t make apart the rise and fall of their chests.

Kyung Mi woke up a couple of hours later and slowly untangled herself from Wonho, he had been working long days and late nights for the past couple of weeks and she know the upcoming week wouldn’t be any different she wanted to let him sleep and rest as much as he could during this week end.  She had rolled away from him and was about to let her feet fall over the edge of the mattress when he pulled her back, keeping her tightly against his chest, his hand slipping under her t-shirt his lips leaving a trail of kisses along her shoulder his hair tickling her neck. “I never said you could leave” he jokingly growled smiling against her skin. She sighed as his hand trailed lower in feathering touches over her stomach. He flicked his tongue over that sensitive spot on her neck his fingers finally reaching her panties. Just as he was about to run them over her covered core they heard the bedroom door squeak open. He tore himself away. They both sat up in bed eyes falling on their 3-year-old daughter rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. She was the spitting image of her mother but there was no doubt that Wonho was her father, she looked so much like Kyung Mi but her eyes, nose and lips were her father’s. In moments like these with tired eyes pouting with messy hair and when she smiled or laughed she was the spitting image of Wonho. They smiled at the toddler. “You’re up already princess, come give papa a hug” he said. No matter how imposing he was he was completely smitten with their little girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading until the end, it means so much. This is one of my longest works i've ever written and i am so proud of it... I sure hope you enjoyed it.


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